Digimon Frontier - The Warriors Return
by DragonSoulH
Summary: After 7 years of peace the Digital World is in danger again. The three angel Digimon have reawakened the spirits of the Legendary Warriors - plus one more. The Legendary Warrior of Souls may just be the key to saving the world, unless the cause of the destruction is something beyond all understanding... (Eventual JunpeixOCxKouichi)
1. Chapter 1: A Fateful Meeting

Chapter 1: A Fateful Meeting

 **Nothing special has ever happened to me. I mean, aside from that time I fell and fractured my arm. My mom and dad** **both** **paid attention to me for a week. That was as exciting as life got.**

 **Frankly, I liked life plain and simple. Class during the day, work in the evenings, sleep at night. Predictable. Boring. Safe.**

 **I had no idea what I was in for.**

With a quiet sigh you left the small dining hall of your small local college, flimsy coffee cup in your left hand while you pressed the buttons of your iPod with your right. The frigid wind immediately bit into you and your tongue-scorching coffee cooled in seconds to about milkshake temperature. Impressive but irritating.

You were wearing your heaviest jeans, a tattered hoodie, and a scarf. But under the hoodie you only had on a thin T-shirt, not the best winter wear. Your commonsense must have been on vacation this morning.

But your dad was always saying that you should be tough - his whole half of the family was. There was some truth in that, so you hunched deeper into your sweatshirt and doubled your pace.

The winter had begun mildly and turned Arctic in a flash. Barely a month ago, your whole county had gotten a foot and a half of snow. Most was gone now - it'd turned to ice.

To your left someone fell on the slippery sidewalk. You paused briefly, but they were up and off again before you could decide if you wanted to help. You continued on, the change in your progress barely noticeable.

Suddenly the sound in your headphones went out. You yanked your iPod out of your pocket and stared at the blank screen. You grumbled a curse. The cold had even frozen your battery.

You put your useless machine back in your pocket but kept the headphones on. They kept your ears warm. Well, almost.

Now came the worst part of getting to your morning class - crossing the big, cold parking lot. You looked at all the heaped-up snow and the rivers of ice that had formed downhill of it. Another exciting round in the game of Fall On Your Ass.

With another sigh you set out for the far end, dodging around the few patches of ice you could. When you reached the halfway point you dared to hope that you might make it through unscathed.

Right on cue, cruel fate dashed that hope. While you were in the middle of a particularly smooth field of ice, the wind began to blow. Hard.

It actually began to push you along the parking lot! But, of course, not towards your destination. While you tried desperately to keep your balance, other people were falling, and you expected to go over at any second.

Suddenly you hit something - soft? Obviously, it wasn't the ground or a car, but whatever it was, at least it'd stopped your wild ride. Then an arm steadied you and tilted you back upright, and you realized a person had rescued you.

"Phew!" you gasped. "Thank you!"

As soon as you were sure of your balance, you took a look at the guy. He was a head taller than you with short brown hair like yours. He had the prettiest brown eyes you'd ever seen, so unlike your green and gray ones. He was kind of chubby - that was why your impact was so soft - but most of him was hidden under a big blue coat.

You observed all this in a second and decided that the guy seemed nice. Your shyness kicked in though, and you had to resist the urge to run. You'd fall anyway.

"No problem," he said with a wide smile. The wind gusted again and he offered you his arm to steady yourself as you wobbled.

"Sorry I keep falling into you," you said, embarrassed. You kept your eyes down - to watch your step, of course.

He chuckled heartily. "You should eat more," he commented. "No light breeze can push me around!"

To prove it, he took a confident step and promptly fell over. He almost took you with him, but you were saved when your muscles locked.

"Are you okay?" you asked. You kept an eye on your coffee while you helped him up.

"Well, I think my pride is mortally wounded," he admitted sheepishly.

"My pride is waiting for me in class," you joked.

The guy laughed and you smiled with relief. Sometimes people didn't get your weird humor.

You both made it across the parking lot with only a few bruises to show for it. Once you were on solid ground, you sighed loudly. "I'm gonna have to start taking the long way."

"Me too," the guy said, "if this snow doesn't melt soon."

You were anxious to go now, since your internal clock was telling you that you were late. You turned partway to face your building. "Thanks for the help," you said gratefully. "I gotta go or I'll be late."

"Wait a second!" the guy yelped as you took a step. "Uh, could you tell me where the building with the initials MRK is?"

You blinked and decided this guy must be even newer than you. The building - McRokan - was the one you were heading for.

You pointed at the doors five feet away. "Right here," you said and then smiled. "The online map isn't labeled well, is it?"

The guy's look of relief turned to surprise. "How'd you guess?"

Your smile widened. "I tried to use it last semester. I was late for all of my first classes. So, I started exploring in my free time to find where everything was."

"You walked all over?" The guy now looked pained. "So much walking…"

The two of you were in the lobby now, and you veered left towards the stairs. "It's not that big," you chided. "Take it in little bits."

He looked less unhappy at your suggestion. "All right," he grumbled. "See ya."

"See ya," you replied.

You made it to class with a few minutes to spare and chose your usual type of seat: in the front but off to one side so you wouldn't be in the center of attention. This room was nice - it had long tables for desks with chairs positioned every few feet. You liked that better than those tiny desks in other buildings.

You sat and enjoyed your cold coffee while the professor took attendance, lifting your hand when he mangled your name. "Call me Ally," you said and he made a note in his book.

When he was done, he put a powerpoint up on the projection screen and began to talk. You quickly decided that this was a "rambling professor" and settled in to listen.

Suddenly a familiar face appeared at the door. It was the same guy who had kept you from sliding away. He entered quietly, but since the door was in the front, everyone got the chance to stare at him anyway. The professor continued his story without noticing him.

He hovered just long enough to develop a fierce blush and you decided to take pity on him. "Psst!" you hissed to get his attention. He looked and you pointed to the empty seat next to you.

He darted over and sat down willingly enough. "Thanks," he whispered.

"Sure," you replied, leaning close. "See him after class; he marked you absent."

"Right." You leaned back to listen again and the guy took your cue and did the same.

Class ended at about the same time you decided that you were sick of listening. Most of it had been a quick review of the class you had last semester anyway. You grabbed your bag and stood, noticing that the guy next to you did the same.

"Oi, I'm Shibayama Junpei. Nice to meet you." He had a naturally loud voice, especially when inside. "What's your name?"

The two of you were waiting near the front of the room while the crowd rushed past. A few students were occupying the professor's attention at the moment, so you decided to take care of the obligatory social tasks.

"I'm Ally," you said quietly with a timid smile. "Nice to meet you."

There was a long awkward moment when neither of you knew what else to say.

"Do you like magic?" he suddenly asked.

You gave him a look, utterly bewildered. "What?"

"Magic. You know, tricks," he answered, unruffled. Grinning, he held up a hand and made a white flower appear with a flick of his fingers. "Ta-da!"

You stared with surprise, long enough to make him nervous. "No?" he asked.

You reached over and took the flower. You studied it closely. It was a real flower.

"Awesome!" you said enthusiastically. "How'd you do that?" You smiled at him and he smiled back and that was the beginning of your friendship.


	2. Chapter 2: It Must Be a Mistake

Chapter 2: It Must Be a Mistake

You ran down the sidewalk as fast as you safely could with so much snow on the ground. "Late, late, late!" you chanted to yourself. "Stupid snow made me late!"

The first load had almost melted away when suddenly a storm raced through and dumped another two feet onto the city. For a while there you'd literally been snowed into your house and classes had been canceled until Friday - today. But the city buses were still having trouble arriving on time; they were often fifteen or twenty minutes late.

You raced across the crosswalk as soon as the light flashed on, and arrived at the dining hall shortly after. Standing next to a gigantic snowdrift, shivering in the wind, was Junpei. He had a lonely expression on, but it vanished as soon as you came into view.

"There you are!" he yelled. "I thought you forgot - OOF!"

You had run right into him - to show affection, of course. He stumbled back a step but you were the one who went down on your butt.

"OW!" you shouted.

"That'll teach you to challenge me, lightweight!" You took Junpei's hand, which hovered by your shoulder, and stood up. You wiped some snow from your backside and gave him a stern glare in response to his grin.

"One of these days I'll sneak up behind you," you growled.

"You still won't knock me down," he bragged.

The two of you went inside to eat, needing intense fuel for the history report you both had due in a week. When you were done, you headed for the library, arguing the whole time.

"Now that I've eaten, I bet I can knock you over," you announced. You got ready to charge.

Junpei laughed. "No way! I ate more than you did!"

"We got the same thing, you baka!" you yelled. Something about being around him made you louder for no reason.

"Yeah, but my cheeseburger was bigger!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

You were in the library then, so you lowered your fight to a whisper. It was way less impressive though. You traded 'was-not's and 'was-too's while waiting for the elevator.

You rode to the top floor where you could be loud again, since no-one ever went up there.

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"It was and my cookie was bigger too!" Junpei yelled.

You didn't reply except by making a loud noise and shoving him. The shove failed miserably and he got you in a headlock.

"Lemmee go!" you shouted.

Surprisingly he did, and you stomped off to an end table. "Let's just get the stupid project done!" you huffed.

"Fine, fine." You flicked Junpei a suspicious glance. He was being weird.

An hour later, your brain was fried and your bladder was full. "Be right back," you told Junpei. He just grunted - he was in the middle of thinking.

While you were drying your hands, you felt your pocket buzz. You looked down in surprise - your phone was in your pocket for a change. You pulled it out and flipped it open.

"'Do you want to start?'" you read. "'Yes or no.'"

Your automatic response was to think 'start what?' but you clicked 'yes'. Something told you this was important.

There was a flash and another text arrived. 'Take the elevator down,' was all it said.

You hesitated. Something was happening to you, something unusual. Things like this didn't happen to you. Maybe it was a mistake?

You stared at yourself in the mirror as you thought. You decided.

"I've clicked 'yes'. I'll give it a shot," you mumbled. "But what do I tell Junpei?"

Nothing, as it turned out. He was gone, but the stuff was still there.

"Huh," you said. Then you guessed maybe he'd had to go too. Well, you'd go down and come back up fast so he wouldn't notice that you had gone anywhere.

There were two elevators. One was at the second floor at the moment. The other was at the basement. You got on the first when it arrived for you and automatically reached for the buttons. Then you paused. The text hadn't said what floor to go to.

Suddenly the buttons blinked in rapid sequence and the elevator started moving. It went down, gathering speed until it felt like you were riding in your mom's car. It shot past the lower floors and into the basement levels. Then, before you could panic, it went below the basement. The digital readout displayed only a zero.

You began to suspect that 'yes' had been the wrong answer.

The elevator suddenly stopped and you grabbed onto the railing so you wouldn't fall. The doors opened and you stared out into a huge room with train tracks and tunnels. On one set of tracks, a train was waiting.

Your phone buzzed and you jumped. You'd forgotten it was in your hand.

You flipped it open, but this time a man's voice came out. "Please take the train to the Forest Terminal. You'll receive instructions there."

You were probably in shock, you later decided. That's why you got on instead of turning around like a smart person would. The tunnel was dark but the train had lights. It looked nice.

There was a sudden bump and you nearly dropped your phone. Then, when it changed into something else, you did drop it.

"The hell is that?!" you yelped.

"Your D-Tector," the man in the phone - er, D-Tector - said. "Keep it safe."

You poked it. It didn't burn, shock, or bite you. You picked it back up.

It was pretty. Your phone had been black and silver, but this thing was green and gold. A little screen was glowing on the front.

"My ringtones had better still be in there," you growled, but your voice was unsteady.

After a few minutes of train-travel, you arrived at a train station. It was big, but the trees around it were like skyscrapers. For a while you just gawked up at them like an idiot.

Then you remembered you had to go somewhere. There was a staircase in the biggest tree. You shrugged to yourself. That looked as likely as anything else.

You climbed. And climbed. And climbed. Then you rested before climbing some more.

When you finally got to the castle at the top, you were just glad it didn't have more stairs. Then you noticed the creatures waiting in front of it and you knew that 'yes' had definitely been the wrong answer.

There were two angels and a - a bunny? You gave it a long look and, yeah, it was a pink bunny. Weird.

The male angel, whose gray armor reminded you of a soup can, stepped forward. "She's here," he said. It was the voice from your phone.

"This one?" the bunny said. Its voice was freakishly deep for a white and pink thing, even one that big. "You're sure, Seraphimon?"

"She received a D-Tector," the male angel answered.

"Then she must be the one," the female angel said. Her outfit was so awesome, you couldn't think of a comparison to describe it.

"Question!" you said, raising a hand.

The three looked startled. "Yes?" Seraphimon asked.

"Is this really happening, or am I going crazy again?" you asked anxiously.

"Again?" the female angel murmured.

"This is the most real thing that has ever happened," Seraphimon answered.

You made the 'okay' sign. "Just making sure."

"You should take this seriously!" the bunny boomed. It was scary when it looked mad so you went quiet. "Are you really sure, Seraphimon?!"

"… Yes." He sounded more uncertain now.

"I'll explain it to her," the female angel said as she moved towards you.

"Ophanimon," Seraphimon began to say.

"We need her to understand if we want our world to be saved again," Ophanimon interrupted. "I'll handle it."

Ophanimon led you off and you were glad to get away from that bunny. It was beginning to freak you out.

"Don't mind Cherubimon," she told you. "He's not as mean as he acts."

Now you were really confused. "That bunny's a cherub?"

Ophanimon laughed. "Yes, but don't let him hear you call him a bunny. He doesn't like that."

"Got it," you said and made a mental note in bold red letters. "So, you were going to tell me why I'm here?"

Ophanimon turned serious. "Evil is threatening our world again. Something is corrupting the data of Digimon and of the Digital World itself. Seraphimon, Cherubimon, and I have tried to find it, but whatever is causing this chaos is hiding between the worlds where we can't reach it.

"Meanwhile, permanent damage is occurring all over the world. We've reactivated the spirits of the legendary warriors and we summoned you to find the spirit of Dramon."

"Dramon?" you asked, fascinated.

Ophanimon smiled. "Dramon is the Human Spirit of Souls. Her ancient warrior form is called the Creator and Destroyer. She created the Digital World and will eventually destroy it. She's the only one who can repair the damaged data."

"Coooool…" you said.

"Unfortunately, no one knows where her spirit is," Ophanimon admitted.

"That's never stopped me from looking before!" you yelled excitedly. "Where should I start?"

"No one knows," Ophanimon reminded you.

"Oh, yeah…" You thought about that.

"Just follow your instincts and your D-Tector," Ophanimon suggested. "Good luck."


	3. Chapter 3: Dinner and a Dragon

Chapter 3: Dinner and a Dragon

Back in the train station, you looked around. You had a whole world to search.

"Well, it ain't gettin' no smaller!" you told yourself. You picked a random direction and went trotting off.

For most of the day you were in a forest. Then, as night fell and you began to get really hungry, you found an apple tree. One bite though, and you decided maybe you'd stay hungry.

"You don't eat them raw."

You spun around, wishing frantically for a pointy stick. Then to your horror you discovered that - the speaker was a waist-high orange dinosaur.

"Who are you?" you said, looking everywhere for a stick.

"I'm Agumon," it said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ally." You stared each other down for a bit. "You gonna try to eat me?"

"No, if you knock down some of those meat apples," it replied. "I'm starved."

"They're awful," you said.

Agumon laughed. "Only when you eat them without cooking them first. If you get them down, I'll cook them." It held out its claws in what looked like a handshake.

You shook its 'hand' and began attacking the tree. "Come down, apples!" you roared.

Most obeyed and you gathered them up. Agumon, meanwhile, had started a fire. You found some pointy sticks that were too small to threaten anybody with and used them to spear the apples to cook them.

When they were done, you took a cautious bite. 'Tastes like chicken,' you thought automatically and the old joke made you groan silently.

Agumon certainly seemed to like his. He ate fourteen. You ate eleven.

When you were done, your full stomach made you exhausted. Agumon agreed to keep watch while you slept so you curled up and drifted off.

You woke up later - tied to a tree with Agumon tied up next to you. Gray dogs were standing all around you and a group was inspecting your D-Tector.

"She's awake," some announced when your eyes opened. The rest turned to look.

You stared at them and made sure you weren't asleep by nipping your lower lip with your teeth. Yep, you were awake. Agumon wasn't though; he was snoring loudly.

You cursed irritably but quietly, and decided your first goal after getting out of this mess was to find a sharp stick.

"Heh, she doesn't seem scared," one said.

"She will be," sneered another. It held up your D-Tector. "Tell us how to get the spirits out," it ordered.

Now you were completely awake and furious. It was bad enough you were tied to a tree and and idiot, but anybody who woke you before dawn was in for a beating.

"Jump in a lake!" you snapped. "And untie me so I can pound you all senseless."

"You really think we're that dumb?!" one of the dogs in the back yelled. The others sighed.

"Then we'll do this the hard way," the first said. It moved closer.

Suddenly your D-Tector began beeping and flashing. The dogs all looked at it and when it flashed ultra-bright, the one dropped it and they all backed away.

"What's going on?!" they yelled.

A beam of light shot up and curved - yes, curved - and hit you. You were immediately filled with power and the ropes around you snapped.

The dogs all backed fearfully away as you glared at them. "Get lost," you growled and that sent them running.

The light faded then and you moved towards your D-Tector. But when it lit up again, you raised an arm to shield your eyes.

The light seemed to rip the air and something emerged out of that gap. It was sucked into the D-Tector and then everything went dark and quiet again.

You picked up your D-Tector and stared at the face on the screen. It was a green dragon with white hair, gray eyes, and short horns.

"A spirit?" you said. "Dramon?"

The face vanished and a strange symbol appeared. You didn't know what it was, but it looked cool.

"I'll take that as a yes," you said.


	4. Chapter 4: There Are More Humans Here!

Chapter 4: There Are More Humans Here?!

The next day you settled for just poking Agumon with a small stick. You'd gotten your spirit, so you weren't too mad. And you had gotten more sleep, so you were in a forgiving mood.

You parted ways then and you walked for about an hour before you realized that you had no clue where you were going.

"Dang it," you grumbled. "All that fuss and I'm still lost!"

But you kept going since you had no better ideas. Eventually you found a town in the forest, and from the top of the hill you studied it cautiously. It looked all right, but the forest suddenly changed to desert only a little farther on. In old westerns, border towns were always dangerous.

You snuck closer and skulked around the town limits, sticking to the thick brush and the shadows. The place was busy but it looked serene. At least, there weren't any gangs or gray dogs lurking about.

As you made your third loop, you suddenly heard a voice. It echoed a little and you froze.

"Find me," it said. "I'm here."

You looked around but couldn't tell where the voice had come from. You couldn't even tell if you had really heard it. It could've been in your head…

Then your D-Tector went crazy and you guessed that there was another spirit nearby.

'It must be in the town,' you thought. You sighed - crowds were so stressful.

"Oh well." You stepped out of the shadows and into the sun. Surprisingly though, you didn't attract much attention as you wandered around. Most of the strange monsters you saw just ignored you. The ones who did notice you were usually trying to sell you something.

Your D-Tector gave you no more hints however, and you soon got hungry. But you had a sneaking suspicion that anyplace around here that had food would probably cost money - which you didn't have.

You kept circling, getting hungrier and hungrier. From inside a building, a gray dog saw you. It quickly hurried out the back.

"Boss'll wanna know about this," it chuckled.

By this point you were dangerously hungry. Then a Digimon approached you. Luckily, it came towards you from the front - if it'd snuck up on you, you might've attacked it before you could think.

"Human-san! Human-san!" it yelled as it ran towards you. It was a little red and purple lizard with tail feathers.

You took it in stride. After all, last night you'd had dinner with a dinosaur and got attacked by dogs that walked on two legs. A lizard with feathers wasn't so weird as all that.

"Human-san, I am Elecmon," it said when it got close. "Come with me. Your friend is this way."

"My friend?" you blurted with surprise.

Elecmon galloped a few paces back the way it had come. "The other human," it answered. "The one we found. This way."

'Other human?' you thought. 'Junpei?'

You briefly forgot your stomach and followed Elecmon. It led you back towards the edge of town and up to a little house.

Inside, at a table, a guy was having lunch (the lucky devil!). It wasn't Junpei though. This guy was thinner and shorter with longer black hair. He had on a long-sleeved dark gray shirt, with a short-sleeved green jacket over it, and dark blue jeans. He looked up when you and Elecmon came in, and you saw he had very handsome dark eyes.

He looked surprised to see you, about as surprised as you were to see him.

Elecmon bounced right up to him. "See? We've found another of your friends already!" it said proudly.

The guy obviously didn't know what to say to that, so you stepped in. "Thank you very much, Elecmon," you said quickly. "And if it's not too much trouble, might I have a meal too before we go? We have others to find, but I'm so hungry."

With perfect timing, your stomach complained. Elecmon laughed. "Of course," it said and hopped into another room.

You and the guy both sighed with relief. "That was awkward," you said.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I'm Kimura Kouichi. Nice to meet you."

You moved closer. "I'm Ally," you replied. "Nice to meet you too." You sat down and though about which of your million questions to ask first.

He beat you to it. "Were you called here too?"

"Yeah," you said. "I got a text, took a train, and climbed about a billion stairs. You?"

He smiled. "I didn't have to take any stairs."

You stuck your tongue out at him. "Lucky."

Elecmon came back then with a plate of food, and you began to devour it after thanking it. You noticed Kouichi watching you in amazement. When you were hungry, you ate at lightning speed.

You actually finished before he did and leaned back with a happy sigh. "Better."

Elecmon also looked stunned. "You're still hungry?!"

You smiled reassuringly at it. "Yes, but since we'll be walking, I don't want to stuff myself."

Elecmon looked relieved as it took the plates away. Small wonder since you'd eaten two meals' worth - you'd missed breakfast.

"I guess we should go," you said as you and Kouichi stood. "Thank you for everything - especially the food."

"It was no trouble," Elecmon said. "If I find any more humans, I'll send them towards Forest Terminal."

"Thank you," Kouichi said.

"Bye!" you called.

You headed out of town again. "Where should we go now?" you asked Kouichi. "I just came from Forest Terminal and nobody else was there, except the angels."

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

"Wrong way," said the strange voice in your head. "I'm in the town."

You stopped short and whirled around, but there was nobody there. But that was impossible - the voice had been as close to you as Kouichi. There had to be something there.

"What's wrong?" Kouichi asked you.

"I heard something," you said. You knew it wasn't smart to tell your friends that you were hearing voices in your head. "Wait here; I'm gonna check it out."

You ran off down the path before he could say anything. "All right you stupid voice," you grumbled when you were far enough away from Kouichi. "Who are you, where are you, and why are you talking to me?"

"I'm a spirit," it replied. "I need you to find me."

"And since when can I hear spirits?!" you yelled. It didn't respond. "Beans!" you growled.

Suddenly you tripped on something and landed flat on your face. "Ow!" you shouted. "What the hell?!"

It was - a bundle of wires. In a forest. Why didn't that surprise you?

"Follow the wires," the spirit said.

"Double beans," you sighed. You got up and followed them back towards town. They led to a small building that reminded you of a power station. Or a jail. There was no door, but there was a little window.

"Don't say it," you told the voice in your head. "I'm going."

You wriggled through the window and fell on your head inside. You just laid there for a minute, wishing that 'yes' had led to anything else but this.

"So, are you just gonna lie there all day?"

Your eyes snapped open. The spirit hovered in the middle of the room, casting bright light into the corners. It looked like a jumble of blue shapes with a spike in the front. And standing over you was a ghostly blue and yellow beetle.

You stared at it. It stared back. Its eyes were green.

"I hit my head harder than I thought!" you mumbled. "Now I'm hearing voices and seeing giant bugs!"

"Watch who you call a bug," the beetle snapped. "I'm Beetlemon, the Spirit of Thunder."

A bit of electricity jumped across its armor. "I believe you," you said. "So, now what?"

Beetlemon put his hand over his face. "Why'd Dramon pick a dumb human?" he groaned.

Your D-Tector flashed and a ghostly Dramon appeared next to you. "She's not dumb!" your spirit barked. "She can see you."

Dramon shoved Beetlemon to his right a few feet. "See?" she said, pointing at you.

You were watching them do whatever it was they were doing. Beetlemon's eyes widened with a gasp and he looked at his spirit which was hovering on the other side of the room. He looked back at you and you were still staring at him.

He waved one of his arms over his head. You glanced at it and then went back to watching his eyes.

"You can see me?" he asked in shock.

"That's what I just said, you idiot," Dramon sighed. "She can see souls. That's why I picked her."

"So, now what?" you repeated.

Beetlemon was still moving around to make sure you really were looking at him. Dramon rolled her eyes. "Baka," she said of him. "What you do," she directed at you, "is aim your D-Tector at the spirit. It'll be stored inside it. Then you'd better get back to Kouichi before something mean shows up. He's defenseless without his spirit."

"Is Beetlemon his spirit?" you asked as you grabbed your D-Tector.

"No, Loweemon is," Dramon answered.

"I'm Junpei's spirit," Beetlemon added.

"Junpei?!" you cried. "Like Shibayama Junpei? He's loud, does magic, and can eat his weight in chocolate?!"

"That's the one," Beetlemon said happily. "You know him?"

"Yeah!" you said. "He's my best friend. Is he in this world?"

"If he answered the call," Dramon said.

'I bet that's where he went while I got my call,' you thought as you climbed out the window. You hoped you'd see him soon.


	5. Chapter 5: Dog Attack Revisited

Chapter 5: Dog Attack Revisited

How you found your way back to Kouichi you'll never know. You could barely find your way out of a closet, much less a forest the size of Canada.

"There you are!" he said as you burst into the tiny clearing. You slammed on your brakes, hard. "Why'd you go running off like that?"

"Sorry," you said. "A spirit called me."

Kouichi had been walking towards you, but he suddenly stopped. "What?"

"A spirit," you explained. "I heard Beetlemon calling me, so I followed some wires and found his spirit." You pulled out your D-Tector. "And Dramon told me how to get it in this thing."

"A D-Tector," Kouichi said in disbelief.

"That's what she called it," you said as you remembered. "Sorry if I took a while, but this is all really, really weird."

Speaking of weird, right then your D-Tector beeped and began blaring 'FIRE!' by Kouji Wada.

"Yay, my ringtones were saved!" you yelled. You hit the biggest button and the noise stopped. "Y'ello?"

A red symbol glowed on the screen. "Hello?" said a new voice. "Izumi?"

"Nope, Ally," you answered. "Wrong number."

"Takuya!" Kouichi shouted. He rushed over next to you. "Don't hang up!"

"Kouichi!" the voice yelled. "You're there? Where are you? Kouji's been having a fit!"

"I'm here and I'm fine," Kouichi said. "We're on the forest/desert border somewhere. Where's everyone else?"

A new voice came out of the D-Tector. "Tomoki's here with us and Junpei is only a few towns away, but we haven't been able to find Izumi. And I wasn't having a fit, Takuya!"

"Yes, you were! You were freaking out!"

"Don't fight!" yelled a voice in the background.

"Where are you?" Kouichi interrupted.

"Flame Terminal," Takuya said. "We're all gathering here, so see if you can reach Izumi and tell her too. You were so freaking, Kouji!"

"Shut up!"

The line went silent and you looked up at Kouichi. "That Takuya guy sounds like a moron."

Kouichi just sighed. "Let's head back to Forest Terminal and see if we can get a Trailmon to carry us."

You agreed that sounded like a good plan, and since you knew where to go this time, you both arrived just after dark.

You and Kouichi both used that walking time to ask questions and get to know each other better. You told him about your life (summed up in the word "boring") and he told you about his. You were impressed that he had a twin brother. "I've always wanted a brother," you told him. "All I got is a sister instead." That made him laugh and you were glad because he seemed a little gloomy.

You talked about all kinds of things, and by the end you were walking next to Kouichi instead of a few feet away like you usually did. You hoped you'd made another friend.

In the dimming light you noticed something lying on the path. You rushed over and saw it was some kind of dark blue bunny-bat thing. It had wicked-looking claws.

"Oh, the poor thing!" you cried. It looked beaten up and wasn't moving. You checked to be sure it was alive.

"That's a Pipismon," Kouichi said, squatting next to you. "They're shy and aren't seen much."

"It looks like someone took a heavy stick to it," you said. Inside you were roiling with fury. "Wait'll I get ahold of them! I'll flatten 'em!"

Kouichi glanced at you and realized you were serious and really mad. "Calm down," he said. "Let's take Pipismon to Forest Terminal and see if Ophanimon can help."

You snarled, angry that you couldn't go find the bullies, but you had to help the poor bat. You picked it up, careful of its wings, and trudged on. It wasn't heavy, and it was only the size of a three-year-old, but its claws kept poking you.

"Ow, ow, ow," you commented as you walked.

"I could carry it," Kouichi offered.

You gave him a look. "Thanks, but if you take this, I'll go running into the forest to find the brutes. And the biggest club in existence."

"Ah," Kouichi said. "Okay, then."

Laughter suddenly echoed all around you, and you jumped a foot in the air. Kouichi did too so you knew it wasn't in your head this time. Eyes glinted all around you both.

"They took the bait!"

"I knew they would! Boss'll be pleased!"

A pack of those gray dogs appeared out of the bushes, twice as big as the group last night. You were surrounded.

"Not you jerks again!" you sighed loudly.

"Shut up!" yelled one. "We're here for the spirits! We know you have them!"

"Go jump in a lake!" you shouted irritably.

"Then we'll just have to make a mess of you and take them," it answered. "Like we did to that stupid Pipismon."

You stiffened. "Excuse me?"

The dog snickered. "Oh, does that bother you? That we beat up that sucker?"

"He had information about the spirits and wouldn't tell us when we asked," another said. "And you don't refuse the Gazimon Gang!" The other dogs cheered.

"You're heartless!" Kouichi cried. Then he noticed you were trembling. "Ally?"

"Kouichi," you said, in a dangerously quiet voice. "Take Pipismon. I'm going to go beat them senseless."

He flinched when he saw the rage in your eyes but he took Pipismon from you.

You returned your attention to the Gazimon leader. "I'm going to pound you all into mush now," you said sweetly. It blinked in surprise and you pulled out your D-Tector. "Help me out here," you growled to it.

"Certainly," came a return growl. There was a burst of light.

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

~Kouichi POV~

I squinted as Ally spirit-evolved right next to me. Would she become Beetlemon? Or that other spirit she had mentioned, Dramon?

I got my answer when the light faded. A humanoid green dragon with golden armor stood in her place. Her claws, tail, and ears twitched, and she opened her gray eyes.

"That's it!" cried a Gazimon. "Get the spirit!"

They all leaped and I felt a surge of panic. Dramon just turned slightly and snarled, revealing fangs like a wolf's.

" **Spirit Claw!** " The cloud of Gazimon went flying and suddenly Dramon was behind me.

Her head jerked around as she eyed all the Gazimon to decide where to strike next. "Fast!" was all I could say.

"You idiots!" shouted something. An enormous cherry tree stomped onto the path. "How can it take you this long to get a spirit from two measly humans?!"

"Sorry, Cherrymon," the nearest ones whimpered.

Now Dramon's attention was on the tree. "You lead these mutts?" she demanded. There were a few insulted shouts, but one look from her and they were quiet again.

"That's right," Cherrymon said. "I run this gang. They all work for me. And since it seems you've injured some of my workers, I'll need… compensation." It smiled wickedly. "A spirit will do just fine."

Dramon smiled too, a wicked smile just like the Cherrymon's. "I don't think so," she said calmly.

Instantly it's fake manners were gone. "Then take this!" It shot its cherries like bullets. " **Pit Pelter!** "

Dramon darted in front of me to absorb the attack with a grunt. The minute it ended, she vanished.

"What?" I heard the Gazimon all asking.

"Up there, Boss!" one yelled, pointing at a spot high in the air.

We all looked up to where Dramon was hovering by her little armored wings. "Got you now!" she roared. " **Spirit Flame!** "

Golden fire erupted from her mouth and engulfed Cherrymon. It screamed and its digicode appeared. Dramon landed and scanned it.

~Your POV~

After scanning Cherrymon's digicode, you glanced over your shoulder at the Gazimon. They flinched. You smiled evilly and held up a clawed hand. "Who's next?"

When you had gotten your answer, you trotted back over to Kouichi. "They sure run fast, don't they?" you asked brightly. Then you noticed Pipismon in his arms and you remembered. Then you had a strange idea.

"Give him here," you said. "I have an idea."

He hesitated for a split second, not a big surprise since your claws looked dangerous. But then he put Pipismon in your palms and stepped back.

You bent your head down close to Pipismon and took a deep breath. " **Spirit Flame.** " You gently breathed golden flames over the little digimon. Unlike the ones you'd sent at Cherrymon, these didn't burn - they licked harmlessly around Pipismon.

This was your idea (or maybe Dramon's, you realized) and you knew it'd work, though you didn't know what that meant. But it was supposed to help.

When your breath ran out, you stared in surprise. Pipismon's injuries were gone! You leaned even closer but there was no sign of anything wrong. Suddenly its eyes popped open and you flinched back, afraid that it would try to scratch you.

But it just got to its feet - er, claw hooks - and stared right back at you. You blinked and cocked your head to one side. You could hear it. But not with your ears, of course.

It thanked you for your help. "Sure, no problem," you replied. It asked if there was any way it could repay you. "You don't need to do anything for me," you answered, slightly embarrassed. "I needed to get rid of those bullies anyway."

It seemed sad. "Sorry," you said. Then it brightened and offered to tell you where a spirit was.

"You know where a spirit is?!" you cried. "Where?!" It told you there was one beneath Flame Terminal. "Good, we're headed that way. Thank you for the information," you said with a smile.

Pipismon smiled and squeaked, taking off into the night air. A noise like bat wings came from other trees, so you guessed that its clan had been watching you.

Light surrounded you and you turned back into a human. "Oh!" you said. You took a minute to make sure everything was where it belonged.

"What was that?" When you looked at Kouichi, he was gawking at you. "You just held a one-sided conversation with that Pipismon," he said.

"Oh. Yeah," you replied. You rubbed the back of your head and thought frantically. How the hell were you supposed to explain this?! "Well, you see… I can kinda… hear things. In my head." You pointed at the offending part of you. "I heard the spirits and I could hear Pipismon too."

Kouichi was still staring at you funny. "Please don't think I'm crazy," you begged. "I swear I'm not! My life is totally average and boring! Or it was, until I came here!"

To your immense relief, he smiled in his cute way. "I believe you," he said. "I've been to the Digital World before and it is strange." You were even more relieved when he began asking you about things and you could be honest instead of having to lie.

"You can see the souls of the spirits?" That had surprised him.

"Yeah," you said. "I see them like how ghosts in TV shows look, all see-through and stuff. The soul can move away from the spirit, but I don't think it can go far."

"Nope!" You jumped a foot as Beetlemon appeared beside you. "Not far at all."

"Don't DO that!" you yelled. "My heart almost stopped!"

Kouichi was confused again. "Beetlemon's soul," you explained with a point.

Kouichi followed your finger about two yards too far to the right. Beetlemon sighed.

"Don't worry about it," you said to them both. "Let's just go get a Trailmon to Flame Terminal."

"At this time of night, there aren't any Trailmon running," Beetlemon informed you.

"WHAT?!" you shouted, scaring Kouichi again. "No Trailmon?! Then how do we get there?!"

"Walk or wait," Beetlemon said and vanished again.

"He's so annoying!" you growled. "I can believe he's Junpei's spirit!"

You fumed quietly all the way back to the station, oblivious that Kouichi kept a little extra far away from you. When you got there you found a Trailmon, but it was so fast asleep it didn't look like anything less than the apocalypse would wake it. You paced and growled low in your throat.

"You might as well come take a seat." You spotted Kouichi on a waiting bench nearby. "Dawn's not for hours and it's hard to sleep on a train." He smiled at you.

You shot a glare at him. How dare he be calm and make sense?! You stomped over and sat down, determined to wake the Trailmon at dawn.

You sat perfectly still and stared at the Trailmon so hard, holes should've appeared in the metal. Eventually, though, your anger cooled and you shivered. Then you shivered again.

Suddenly an arm went around your shoulders. You flinched and leaned away from Kouichi, eyes wide.

He lifted his arm and hesitantly began to withdraw it. "Sorry," he said. "I thought since you were cold…"

You shivered again but sat upright. "Oh, that's what you were doing," you said with a relieved sigh. "I thought you were putting the moves on me."

Kouichi blushed slightly. "No, I wasn't, honestly."

"Good," you said as his arm went back across your shoulders. "'Cause if you were, I'd have to beat you up and purify your data."

You smiled as Kouichi chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind."

You decided you were sick of watching that Trailmon sleep, so you tilted your head back to look at the stars. There were so many, and none of the constellations were familiar.

You'd just made up the Dragon Constellation in the strange stars overhead when you fell asleep too.


	6. Chapter 6: Wash a Train? That's a First

Chapter 6: Wash a Train? That's a First

You woke the next day with a cramp in your neck from sleeping sitting up. You untangled yourself from Kouichi while he was still sleeping and began massaging your sore neck muscles.

Then the Trailmon's eyes opened and it yawned. "Morning already?" it said drowsily.

"Yo! Trailmon!" you yelled. You ran for the tracks and leaped in front of it so it wouldn't move. "Finally! I've been waiting for you to wake up."

"Who are you?" it asked curiously.

"I'm Ally," you said. "Me and my friend Kouichi need to get to Flame Terminal. Would you take us?"

"Take two humans to Flame Terminal…" it mused. "I could, but what's in it for me?"

You blinked. You hadn't expected that. "I dunno. What d'you want?"

"How about a bath?" it asked slyly.

"A bath?"

"Yes, I haven't had a good bath in years," it said. "If you wash me, I'll take you wherever you want to go."

"It's a deal," you said. "On one condition. We're going to meet our friends, so if you wait until we get there, we'll have help."

"How do I know I can trust you?" it asked suspiciously.

You spread your arms. "Dude, I'm a human in a world full of digital monsters. Do you think it'd be hard to find me if I ran off?"

It thought about that. "All right," it said at last. "And I'm not 'dude', I'm Angler."

You smiled up at it. "Thank you, Angler." You climbed out of the track area and ran over to Kouichi. "Wake up! Wake up, Kouichi! Aliens are attacking!"

"Huh, wha?!" He jolted awake and looked around wildly.

You were grinning so wide you felt like the Cheshire Cat. "You would so have been zapped by now, dude," you scolded. "Come on, we've got a ride!"

You pulled him on-board while he was still half-asleep. "On to Flame Terminal!"

Angler blew his whistle and began to move. "What a noisy human you are," it complained.

After Kouichi woke up, you explained how you'd convinced Angler to carry you both and he laughed. "Trailmon always bargain for baths," he said. "They're rare and special to them."

"Huh," you said. You liked baths but you wouldn't bargain for one. Then again, you might if you had no arms…

You thought that over for about five minutes. "I suppose I can understand that," you said. You noticed Kouichi smiling. "You're laughing at me, aren't you?!" you demanded.

"No, I'm not," he said. It sounded like he was trying not to.

"Yes you are!" you yelled. "You're laughing in your brain!"

He did start laughing then and you did too since what you said sounded so bizarre.

"How long will it take to get to Flame Terminal?" you asked when you finally stopped cracking up.

"I don't know," he said thoughtfully.

"Since you woke me up so early, little human," Angler said from outside. "We'll get there by sunset."

"Thank you!" you yelled out the window.

"You woke him?" Kouichi asked.

"He exaggerated," you said as you sat back down. "He was waking up and I jumped in front of him."

Kouichi stared at you. "What's it like to be crazy?"

"It's okay. A little humid."

That set you both off laughing again.

The rest of the trip was calmer but not boring. You convinced Kouichi to tell you the story of when he'd first come to the Digital World, and you listened with utter fascination as he told you about how he arrived and when he met Kouji and got his true spirits. When he got to the part about the moon, you felt your jaw drop.

"Awesome!" you said.

"And I was the only one not knocked out because I wasn't really there," he said.

"Right because you were just a soul." You shuddered. "That is so… disturbing."

He gave you a half-smile. "It wasn't so bad. Besides, I only found out later."

He told you about Lucemon and waited while you threatened the story villain with various painful attacks. He was about to describe the final fight… and then told you he hadn't been there.

You pounced. "What?! You can't just leave me hanging like that! What happened?!"

"I don't know," he said. "Lucemon scanned me, so I wasn't there for the last victory."

"But I gotta know!" you whined.

"Ask one of the others when we get to Flame Terminal. They were all there."

Angler suddenly hit his brakes. You'd been kneeling on the seat to threaten Kouichi so you were sent flying forward. Luckily, he caught you before you fractured your skull. The two of you ended up face-to-face and very close.

As soon as Angler had stopped, you pulled back, bright red. "Sorry. And thanks," you said quickly. Kouichi nodded, a little extra color in his cheeks too.

"Bad news, humans," Angler called back.

"What now?" you groaned as you stuck your head out the window. "Oh, wow," you said in surprise.

"What?" Kouichi asked. His head appeared from the window in front of you. "Wow!"

The land - and the tracks - which should've been in front of you were gone. Well, not gone, but not really there. It looked like the land had been peeled away to reveal digicode. But the code looked warped and broken, not safe to travel on at all. There were dark holes in a few places, and it was making a strange noise, unlike the normal digicode you'd seen before.

"It looks like the tracks leading to Flame Terminal are out," Angler said. He moved forward slowly and got onto a track which veered left. "We'll have to take a detour."

"A detour?!" you yelled. "But we're in a hurry!"

"Too bad, human. A Trailmon can't go where there are no tracks."

You groaned and looked irritably at the damaged land. It was centered around where the tracks should've been - most of the rest was still intact. Suddenly a big lake appeared by the trackside.

You started banging your hands on the sides of the train car while still hanging out the window. "Hey! Hold it! Freeze! Stop already!"

"What now?!" Angler demanded as he stopped again.

"How about we give you the bath now and we'll walk from here? There's no point in going so far out of our way when it's only the tracks that are out. What do you say?"

"Hmmm… I suppose," Angler said grudgingly. "Since that was the deal."

He stayed put while you and Kouichi found some buckets and filled them in the lake and brought them back. "My dad says it's always best to start at the top," you said. "Sound good?"

Kouichi nodded and you both got to work. Angler seemed happy for the most part, and whenever you did something he didn't like (or didn't get him clean enough) he'd complain loudly.

You scrubbed and scrubbed until it felt like your arms would fall off. You actually cheered when Angler said he felt clean enough.

"You did a decent job," Angler admitted. "For a pair of humans." He blew his whistle and began to move. "Good luck out there!"

"I bet you're regretting that deal now," Kouichi said while you were waving to Angler. "You look sore."

"I AM sore," you agreed, rubbing your shoulder with a wince. "I don't wash my car all the time. And it never tells me to wash harder or faster." You rubbed a knotted muscle in your neck. "How do you feel?"

Kouichi chuckled. "I'm sore too."

"And now we have to walk," you complained, unwisely throwing your arms up. "Ow!"

Suddenly you heard a strange noise from Kouichi's direction. He rubbed his stomach with an embarrassed grin. "I think we worked off that big dinner from yesterday," he said.

You realized that your gut was completely empty too. "I'm starved!"

"We should start walking, then," Kouichi suggested. "Maybe we'll find something."

You sighed and you both started along a small path. "Someday," you said loudly, "you'll say something dumb or something that doesn't make sense, and I will run screaming for the hills."

Kouichi laughed. "I'm not trying that hard to be sensible."

"You're succeeding anyway." Your D-Tector beeped and 'FIRE!' played. "Again?" you said, pulling it out of your pocket. "Is it that Takuya guy again?"

You pushed the button and a pink symbol appeared. "Takuya?" said a girl's voice.

"Nope, Ally," you replied. "Are you Izumi?"

"Yeah," she said in surprise. "Who are you?"

"Just some crazy," you replied loudly. "Anyway, Takuya said to get to Flame Terminal, if you can."

"No problem," she answered. "Tell him I'll be there by morning."

"If he calls again," you said, but Izumi had already hung up. "Impatient much," you commented as you put the thing away.

"That's just how she and Takuya are," Kouichi informed you with a smile. "The rest of us wonder how they can stand each other because they're so alike."

You kept walking for a while as Kouichi described his friends and his brother to you. You laughed at their quirks and you could tell that he really cared for all of his friends. They all sounded so close, even since Junpei had moved to America where you'd met him. It was a little intimidating. You'd never had such loyal friends like that…

"Ally?" Kouichi tapped your shoulder and you snapped out of your thoughts. "What do you say?"

"What?" you blurted. "Sorry, could you say that again?"

"I said, 'let's stop here for the night'," he repeated.

"But we haven't found any food!" you wailed. Your stomach wailed too.

"We won't find any in the dark," Kouichi told you. "We can keep looking when the sun comes back up."

You were almost in tears as you looked for a soft patch of ground. You hadn't gone to bed hungry since you were a little kid! You and Kouichi curled up (apart) on a mat of old leaves. Your stomachs traded growls for a long time until exhaustion overcame your hunger.


	7. Chapter 7: Reunion of Warriors

Chapter 7: Reunion of Warriors

~Junpei POV~

"Hey you guys!" I yelled when I got off the Trailmon called Franken.

"Junpei!" they all answered. We clustered together, laughing, and I realized how much I'd missed them.

"It's been a while, Junpei-san!" Tomoki had grown since I last saw him - now he was almost Takuya's height. They looked more like brothers than ever.

Takuya laughed. "I didn't know they had Trailmon in America."

"They've got all kinds of crazy stuff in America," I said with a grin. "Have you seen Hummers?"

We all laughed and then I looked around expectantly. "Where's Izumi-chan?" I asked. "And Kouichi?"

"Kouichi's coming from Forest Terminal," Takuya said. "He'll be here soon."

I glanced at Kouji. That explained his tense look. "And Izumi-chan?"

Suddenly there was a whistle and a Mole Trailmon pulled into the station next to us. The doors popped open and when the steam cleared, Izumi stood on the platform like the best magic trick ever.

"IZUMI-CHAN!" I cried, running towards her. And when she started running towards me, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

"TAKUYA!" she yelled and ran right past me into Takuya's arms.

"Izumi!" he said. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

Meanwhile, I stood forgotten by Mole. "That's rough," it said to me.

"That's my life," I said with a sigh. I wandered back over and eventually Izumi did notice me.

"Junpei!" she said. "It's good to see you."

"You too, Izumi-chan," I replied.

"Takuya-haaaaaan!" We all turned to see both Bokomon and Neemon running towards us.

"Bokomon! Neemon!" Takuya shouted. "Is that you?"

There was more excited commotion to see our old friends again. It was like deja-vu.

"This is great!" I said without thinking. "It's like a family reunion!"

Kouji made a quiet noise and turned obviously worried again. "Oops," I mumbled. "I'm sorry, Kouji."

"It's okay," he said, but even Tomoki could tell that was a lie. I felt worse.

"All right, then!" Takuya said into the silence. "If you're really that worried, Kouji, we'll start towards Forest Terminal. That way, we'll meet Kouichi partway there."

"Good idea, Takuya-niisan!" Tomoki cheered.

"Let's go find Kouichi," Izumi agreed.

Kouji smiled at us all. "Thank you, everyone."

We set off down the familiar track towards Forest Terminal, talking about the last time we'd come this way. Years had passed and we were all more mature, but some things never change. Takuya and Izumi began to argue fiercely, while Tomoki walked along the track, humming to himself. And though Kouji was walking with us, he was off in his own worried world.

I watched (and listened) to Takuya and Izumi's argument with a little interest. It reminded me of the play-fights I had with Ally. Except she was more physical than Izumi - she would tackle and poke me while we fought.

"What's that noise?" Neemon suddenly asked.

We all looked at him - Takuya and Izumi even stopped arguing. We all listened.

"I hear it too," Tomoki said.

"Me too," I said. "It sounds like… footsteps." It sounded like galloping footsteps headed this way.

"Look!" Izumi said, pointing up the track. A cloud of dust had appeared and was getting bigger.

A big, gray rhinoceros-thing was was making the cloud, running like mad along the track. That was what we'd heard. We watched it for a minute.

"Why does this seem bad?" I asked nervously. It wasn't slowing down.

"What is it?" Kouji asked.

"Oh! It's a Monochromon!" Bokomon exclaimed. He was staring at his book intently. "He's a big, strong dinosaur Digimon with armor as hard as diamond. And… oh dear… He's very territorial."

We gaped at Bokomon for a second. "Very bad!" Takuya yelled. We all took off back down the tracks, but Monochromon was faster. We were still miles from Flame Terminal when it caught up to us.

"What do we do now?!" Izumi screamed. "We don't have our spirits!"

"Damn!" Takuya yelled.

~Your POV~

"I think we need to find food now," you announced. "I just caught myself wondering what the rocks would taste like."

Kouichi chuckled but you had only been half-joking. I mean, if apples can taste like meat in this crazy world…

Your head suddenly snapped up when you heard screaming. Kouichi's did too and you both froze. Ahead of you, across the dry scrubland, a gray rhino was stampeding along the Trailmon tracks. It looked really mad. To your left there were five humans running away from it.

You were too far away to pick out individual faces, but apparently Kouichi's eyes were better than yours. "Kouji!" he cried and took off running.

You realized that they must be his friends. "Oh no!" you gasped. For an instant you didn't know what to do.

Dramon's soul appeared next to you. "Get the lead out!" she yelled.

You reached into your pocket and yanked out your D-Tector.

~Junpei POV~

I glanced back over my shoulder wildly as I ran. That was a mistake - I saw just how close Monochromon was. Heck, I could've counted his teeth if I wanted!

"Run faster, Junpei!" I heard Takuya yell.

'What do you think I'm doing?!' I screamed in my head, but I couldn't get the words out.

Then a flash of green and gold caught my eye. A humanoid dragon appeared, running next to that crazed dinosaur as if it were totally normal. She glanced at me, but only for a second.

Then she leaped into the air and landed on Monochromon's heavy head, driving his nose into the dirt. He ground to a halt with a roar, and none too soon. I felt like my legs would fall off.

"Thank goodness," I gasped as the other came back for me.

After Monochromon had stopped, the dragon hopped off his head, putting herself between him and us. She growled loudly at him and held up her claws threateningly.

"This is familiar, somehow," Bokomon said. He began thumbing through his large book, mumbling to himself. "Where have I seen this before?"

"Kouji!" We all turned as Kouichi appeared from out of the dry wasteland at a run.

"Kouichi!" we all yelled.

"Are you okay?" Kouji asked when his twin had gotten close enough.

He smiled although he was breathing heavily. "I'm fine," he said. "I had company on the way here."

Monochromon pulled his nose out of the dirt and roared at the green dragon again. In response, she stomped her foot and screeched at him. Monochromon blinked in surprise. Then he snarled and charged. The dragon screeched and charged too. This made Monochromon stop again, confused, and the dragon did at the same time. They were only about three feet apart.

Monochromon began to circle counterclockwise and the dragon matched him step-for-step. They stopped on either side of the tracks. Then they both stretched out so their noses were almost touching and seemed to sniff each other warily.

"I don't believe it!" Bokomon cried. "It's Dramon-sama!"

"Dramon?" Takuya said.

Abruptly Monochromon backed up a step and snorted. Dramon returned his snort with one of her own and grinned at him. The dinosaur Digimon chuckled and turned away to begin walking back up the tracks.

"Bye!" Dramon shouted with a wave.

"She's a special spirit," Bokomon explained. "The Spirit of Souls!"

"Another spirit?!" I yelped. When she heard my voice, Dramon's head whipped around to stare at me. I gulped at the hawk-like look she fixed me with.


	8. Chapter 8: RAWR! I'm Hungry!

Chapter 8: RAWR! I'm Hungry!

~Junpei POV~

Dramon stared at me and it felt like there was a truck barreling at me with its headlights pinning me down. Her claws looked sharp and I'd seen how fast she could move. If I tried to run, she could cut me in half before I got two steps away. She turned to face me head-on and I felt my blood freeze.

Then she smiled. "Junpei!" she yelled.

She leaped at me and I shut my eyes, waiting for the impact. But when it came, it wasn't quite as hard as I expected…

~Your POV~

Junpei obviously didn't recognize you - he looked scared. He'd never been scared of you when you were human. It would've been funny if you hadn't missed him so much.

"Junpei!" you shouted, rushing at him. He squeaked and shut his eyes, and that gave you an idea.

While you were in midair, you changed back into a human, still flying at Junpei. You tackled him hard enough to knock him over and got him in a hug. "I missed you!"

His eyes flew open and he gave you a look of complete surprise. "Ally?!"

"Yo," you said. You rolled off him so he could sit up, grinning wider than you had for months. "Told you I'd knock you over someday."

He snorted. "You only managed to because I wasn't ready."

"That reminds me!" you said. You grabbed the front of Junpei's shirt in a mock threat and pulled yourself close. "I'm. Hungry." You gave him your best 'put-the-money-in-the-bag-and-nobody-gets-hurt' voice.

Junpei laughed and held up one of his emergency chocolate bars. With a happy squeal you snagged it and sat back, tearing at the paper as if the treat inside would vanish. You remembered your manners though, so before you devoured the chocolate you looked around for Kouichi.

He was standing next to a boy in dark blue and black who looked exactly like him around the face. You blinked, having seen twins next to each other only once before. Your brain needed an extra second to process the image.

When you had your grip on reality back, you smiled and held up half of the chocolate bar. "Catch, Kouichi!" you called and lobbed the food at him.

It was a bit low but he had reflexes like a professional baseball catcher. "Thank you," he said but your full attention was now on the chocolate bit you were tearing at. If another Monochromon had happened by, you would rather be trampled than stop eating.

"I didn't think she was that hungry…" you heard Kouichi say uncertainly.

"She's always hungry!" Junpei complained. By now you had finished the chocolate, so you began nibbling on the paper wrapper experimentally. It didn't taste half-bad.

Junpei noticed your new prey. "Oi, Ally," he sighed. "Don't eat the paper." He reflexively reached over to take it.

You tensed and glared at him, snarling deep in your throat. It wasn't loud, but it didn't have to be. Junpei yanked his hand back like he'd been burned and you kept your eyes on him for a few seconds longer before the emptiness in your gut made you return to the paper.

"Wow, she really IS hungry," Junpei muttered. He (and the others) let you finish the paper in peace.

Now all that was left was the aluminum sheet, but you knew better than to eat that. Metal wouldn't agree with your stomach. You stared at it thoughtfully before sighing and stuffing it into your pocket. 'Not worth the pain,' you thought unhappily.

"Good to know you have some self-control." Junpei's tone sounded teasing and you stuck your tongue out at him. "I thought 'surely she won't eat aluminum foil, not after last time'."

"Last time?" asked a little white Digimon with a pink belt.

Junpei smiled widely at the memory that made you wince. "I dared her to eat some aluminum foil and she did. It was hilarious."

You crossed your arms and glared at him. "No, it wasn't." Then you smiled mischievously and lifted an eyebrow. "And it wasn't half as funny as the hot sauce I put in your soup and soda."

Everyone started laughing. "She admits it!" Junpei shouted and got you in a headlock. "I knew you had something to do with that!"

He began to noogie your head and you thrashed around. "Not the hair!" you yelled while laughing.

"Your hair's even messier than mine!" he retorted.

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

With a growl you licked Junpei's arm to make him let go of you, but it didn't work this time. He just yelled, "Ew!" and hung on.

Until he noticed you had stopped struggling. "Ally?"

You'd had an idea. "Huh?" you said to yourself and licked his arm again.

"What're you doing?" He sounded nervous.

You were facing the others and they looked worried. "You taste like hamburgers," you said softly and gave them all a wink. They all tried to hide their smiles.

Junpei's grip loosened. "You wouldn't."

"ALLY HUNGRY!" you shouted and moved as if to bite him.

His response was surprising; you had never seen him move so fast. You fell over onto your back laughing and when Junpei noticed the others laughing too, he knew you had played another trick on him.

"Some friends you all are," he grumbled.


	9. Chapter 9: A Little Bat Told Me

Chapter 9: A Little Bat Told Me

You stood shyly next to Junpei, pretending to be a shadow. Meeting new people always made you nervous. Especially people your own age. But as you glanced at each face quickly your eyes lingered on Kouichi. He gave you a small reassuring smile and you felt a little better.

You took a deep, calming breath. "Hi, I'm Ally," you said. "Nice to meet you all." By the end you had started blushing, so your bow was a little stiff and awkward.

"I'm Kanbara Takuya," one boy with brown hair announced. He had on a yellow shirt with a black dragon surrounded by flames. He also wore jeans with some small rips and grass stains, and he had a pair of goggles on a strap around his neck. His hair was brown like Junpei's but longer and messier. His eyes were a darker mahogany and he was thinner than Junpei. All of them were actually.

You couldn't help but return Takuya's grin. His courage and friendliness seemed to be contagious.

"I'm Himi Tomoki," the other brown-haired boy said. He could've been Takuya's little brother, except that he had sea-green eyes. "Nice to meet you too, Ally-san."

He had hat-hair, though you didn't see a hat nearby. He was wearing cargo pants and a white shirt with a stunning picture of a group of polar bears on the front. Though he was nearly as tall as Takuya, you got the impression of an eager little kid. He reminded you of your two favorite cousins, brothers who loved to play with you, especially videogames. Tomoki had that same glint in his eye which made you smile too.

Next the girl in purple flashed you a smile. "I'm Orimoto Izumi," she said. She reminded you instantly of your own sister, self-confident and warm. You loved her blonde hair and green eyes; you assumed they were natural since she didn't seem like the type who colored her hair or wore colored contacts

You already knew Kouichi pretty well, so your attention went right to his twin at the end of the line. This guy had an air of mystery around him, but when you met his eyes, the illusion vanished. He had on a dark blue jacket over a black shirt and light blue jeans. Other than that, he was quite identical to Kouichi except for the ponytail and bandana.

Though there was one other difference which took you a minute to pinpoint. His eyes held an inner light that Kouichi's didn't. You could tell that both twins had seen the darker side of life before; but while Kouichi accepted it, Kouji wanted to change it. He believed that the darkness could be changed.

"I'm Minamoto Kouji," he said quietly. Something in his eyes altered however and you got the feeling he knew how you were judging him. You matched his stare, fear forgotten, and tried to decipher what he thought of you. Then the light changed again and his face turned friendly. "Thank you for keeping my brother safe."

You smiled too, but didn't relax your guard. "Sure, anytime. He was good company."

Kouichi had caught the silent exchange between you two, but he relaxed now. You sensed he was still worried though, so you made a silent promise to be nice.

"So! Where should we go now?" Takuya said enthusiastically. Apparently, he and the others had missed the tense moment.

"Flame Terminal," you and Kouichi said together.

The others looked surprised to hear that. "But we were just there," Tomoki protested.

"Yeah, think of a good idea," Junpei taunted you.

You ignored him and glanced at Kouichi - as he glanced at you. You lifted an eyebrow to ask your question. He smiled and made a 'go on' gesture.

"Where do I start?" you asked.

He thought for a minute. "Start at the beginning."

The others watched your brief conversation with both confusion and fascination. You nodded once as you chose where to begin.

"Well, in the beginning, there was this little thing of energy," you said, fighting off a grin. "Then the Big Bang happened, or so scientists say -"

"Boo!" Junpei heckled good-naturedly.

You emitted an exaggerated sigh. "FINE. I'll get to the interesting part." That took another thought or two. "Well then, I suppose that part starts with when I heard Beetlemon's spirit calling me."

That surprised them all, Junpei the most. "You what?"

"Well, I was walking in the forest wondering where to start looking for the spirits, and I heard a voice." As you talked, you watched your audience to see how they were taking the news. "It sounded funny and he said he was in the town, so I went exploring and found Kouichi. Then, when we were leaving, I heard the voice again. I followed some wires to this tiny building and the spirit was in there."

"But I found the spirit in the Wind Factory last time!" Junpei protested.

The little white Digimon cleared his throat. "Yes, but after you left, the spirits chose new hiding places in the Digital World. It's not a good spot if everyone knows about it, now is it?"

"So, we're going to have to look in new places?" Izumi asked, sounding shocked.

"Seems like it," Kouji said somberly.

"I guess that's why my D-Tector didn't react when we were in Flame Terminal," Takuya said sadly. Then he fixed you with a puzzled look. "So, why do you want to go there?"

"I'm getting to that," you said, annoyed. You hated interrupters. "Anyway, we headed back to Forest Terminal after I found Beetlemon, and we found a hurt Pipismon on the path. Then dogs attacked us, I healed Pipismon, and it told us there was a spirit hidden under Flame Terminal. So, here we are."

Except for Kouichi, the others were wide-eyed. "Why do I get the feeling that it was much more exciting than you're saying?" Izumi asked.

You grinned automatically. "Oh, it was."

"You left out some things too," Kouichi chided. "Like seeing the souls and hearing Pipismon in your head."

"Well, I didn't want them to think I was nuts!" you barked at Kouichi.

"I already know you're nuts," Junpei quipped. You pulled out the wad of foil and chucked it at his head. He caught it and gave you a grin in return. "But if you say we should go, we should go. You're usually right about things like this."

"That's good," the little yellow Digimon with red pants said. "I left my oven on."

"Bakamon!" yelled the white one. He snapped the yellow one's waistband.

You watched them with surprise. "Who are you two anyway?"

The white one faced you and coughed importantly. "I am Bokomon, keeper of the book of the ten legendary warriors."

"I'm Neemon," the yellow one said.

"What are you keeper of?" you asked.

Neemon pointed at Bokomon. "I'm the keeper of Bokomon!"

Bokomon snapped Neemon's waistband again. "Stop making things up!"

You all laughed. "Let's go!" Takuya cheered. "Back to Flame Terminal!"


	10. Chapter 10: Beetlemon the Lightning Bug!

Chapter 10: Beetlemon the Lightning Bug!

As you got closer to Flame Terminal, you got more and more nervous. What if Pipismon had been wrong? What if you couldn't hear this spirit? What if -

"They're not going to kill you for being wrong," Dramon said. You flinched, surprised by her appearance. "These are all chosen children too."

"Though, it would be better for you to be right," Beetlemon added, appearing on your other side. "They'll be less likely to trust you in the future if you're wrong now."

Your worry level promptly tripled. Dramon glared at Beetlemon. "Not helping!" she hissed.

"Oops," he replied.

You smiled and chuckled softly despite your nerves. Beetlemon was acting just like Junpei.

"What's so funny?" You looked left past Dramon. Kouichi had noticed your grin, and when he pointed it out, the others looked too.

Many eyes. Terrifying. You blushed and clenched a fist while you walked. "Beetlemon and Dramon were trying to encourage me," you replied. "And Beetlemon said something dumb."

"Hmph!" Beetlemon said, crossing his arms. "This is what I get for trying to help a human."

You glanced at him and then back to the others, less afraid. "Now he's grumpy." You looked back at him for a second. "I think he's done talking to me for a while."

"Good," Dramon said.

Kouichi laughed but the others looked like they didn't know what to say to that - except Junpei.

"Well, if you're gonna insult him, of course he won't talk to you," he said with a teasing grin.

You returned his challenge. "Well, if he's gonna say dumb stuff, I have to point it out. He wouldn't want to sound dumb if he met the Queen of England, would he?"

"It's not like he'll ever meet the Queen of England."

"But if he did, he wouldn't want to sound dumb, would he?"

"I don't think the Queen would care if he sounded dumb or not."

"But you don't know if the Queen would care or not if a lightning bug sounded dumb."

"What?" Junpei and Beetlemon both said. "Lightning bug?"

"Yeah," you said. "He uses electricity. And he's a bug. Lightning bug."

There was a minute of quiet and then Takuya began laughing. The others joined in too. "Lightning bug," he said between laughs. "Why didn't I think of that?!"

Beetlemon vanished and you got the feeling that he didn't find it quite as funny. Junpei didn't either, but he didn't seem to be offended by it. He looked like he was thinking hard about the image.

"Do you want Beetlemon's spirit now?" you asked as you chuckled. "I think he's pretty mad at me."

Junpei chuckled too. "I'd better. I don't want him to get the idea of shocking you."

You held up your D-Tectors and Beetlemon's spirit passed between them. "Back where you belong!" Junpei said happily. "I'll take better care of you than dragon-girl did."

"We're here!" Bokomon called before you could retort. You blinked in surprise. Just a few feet away was the edge of a metal floor.

Your nerves came roaring back and you hesitated. The 'what if' monster had you fast.

"Come on, Ally! It won't bite!" Takuya cheered.

"You sure? I've seen some crazy stuff in just two days." You began walking towards the metal.

"Hey, Bokomon, is there any chance that Agunimon's spirit came back here?" you heard Takuya ask.

Then you stepped on the metal and your mind went blank.

~Takuya POV~

"I mean, it is Flame Terminal," I said. I wanted to find my spirit more than anything!

Bokomon shook his head, but I wasn't discouraged. Agunimon had to be here! Or maybe BurningGreymon!

"Oi, Ally?" Junpei sounded worried.

We all looked over at her and became worried too. She'd just crossed the border into the village, and now she was rigid and her eyes were blank. She looked a little like…

Junpei pulled out his D-Tector and yelled at it. "If you're doing this, Beetlemon, stop! She was just teasing!"

Suddenly she unfroze and took off running, right into the heart of the town. "Ally!" we all yelled and chased after her.

"What's the matter with her?!" I yelled.

"She just took off!" Kouji replied.

We could see her ahead dodging jets of flame, but there was a sudden explosion that threw us all off our feet and we lost sight of her.

A shadow loomed over us, and when I looked up, I saw a woman dressed like a demon smirking down at us.

"It's LadyDevimon!" Bokomon shouted. "Run for your lives!"

"Where's the spirit?" she demanded. A wave of black bats descended on us. "Tell me, and I'll kill you quickly!"

"I don't think so!" Junpei yelled. "SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

LadyDevimon dodged to one side as Beetlemon charged at her. "Surrender the spirit!" she howled.

" **Golden Thunder!** " Beetlemon answered. A bolt of lightning headed right for LadyDevimon. She effortlessly slapped it away. "Uh oh," I heard Beetlemon mumble.

"You'll be first, insect!" she screeched. " **Darkness Wave!** "

Beetlemon screamed in pain as the wave of bats swarmed around him. "He can't win!" Bokomon cried. "LadyDevimon is much stronger than him and a hundred times more evil!"

"He needs help!" I yelled. "Ally!"

~Your POV~

You came back to your senses in a dark underground room. It reminded you of the little building where you had found Beetlemon, except there was no electrical stuff here. Instead, there were hundreds of pipes hissing spurts of steam, illuminated by the light of the spirit.

The spirit was really cool-looking. It was green with a little bit of red fringe and a mirror in the front. You moved closer to see your reflection in it.

"Ooh! Shiny!" you murmured when you got near.

Then the soul appeared behind its spirit. "Hello, human," he said. He had the general shape of a person, but with mirrors attached to his arms. His torso and face were also mirrored, and you could see shadows on his face hinting at a mouth.

You tensed. This guy gave you a bad vibe. Not bad like evil; bad like 'cunning'. You would have to watch him.

"Hi," you said warily. "Who are you?"

He smirked (sort of). "I am the Spirit of Steel, Mercurymon. I'm the one who called you here."

You blinked and got irritated. "Are you the reason I don't remember how I got to this place?!"

"Indeed," he said smoothly. "I wanted to be found quickly. There is much to be done if you want to save this world."

"Whoa, whoa!" you snapped, holding up your hands. "Saving the world is one thing, but hypnotizing me is an entirely different matter!"

Suddenly you heard a crash and some dirt trickled through the ceiling. Both you and Mercurymon looked up. "What was that?"

"It seems your friends are being attacked," Mercurymon answered with insulting calmness. "If you want to save them, I suggest you adopt a more humble attitude and ask for my help nicely."

The shadows in his face-mirror changed into a smile. You smiled back - like a snake about to strike. "No thanks," you said with venomous niceness. "I don't need your help."

His smile faded. "You will if you want to get to them in time. These tunnels are a labyrinth and their enemy is powerful."

You turned on your heel and marched towards the door, making Mercurymon exclaim in dismay. "So what?" you called over your shoulder. "I know I'll make it. And you can sit down here in time-out 'til I'm done for trying to bully me." You ran out and took your first right.

"Are all humans such overconfident idiots?!" Mercurymon griped after you.


	11. Chapter 11: Lightning Bug Becomes Dragon

Chapter 11: Lightning Bug Plus Dragon Girl Equals…

You ran along hallways and through rooms, all of which looked alike. You were trying to follow the crashes overhead, but they echoed and seemed to be moving. And that was when you weren't hitting dead-ends or pitfalls.

"Was this whole place built without an exit?!" you raged as you turned away from another short hallway. "And if so, I'd love to know how!"

You had an incredibly strong feeling that your new friends were in more danger than Mercurymon had let on. Partly it was all those crashes and booms, and partly it was because Junpei had his spirit and he could be idiotically brave sometimes…

'Just don't let now be one of those times!' you prayed.

~Takuya POV~

"Back off, Junpei! She's too much to handle alone!" I shouted.

"No way!" he replied. "I have to protect you all!" He charged LadyDevimon again.

"But he can't even protect himself!" Izumi whimpered as Beetlemon took another brutal attack. "He's going to lose his spirit at this rate!"

"Come on, Junpei, you need to retreat!" Kouji yelled.

Beetlemon wasn't able to reply; he was struggling to stand when LadyDevimon closed in again.

" **Evil Wing!** " She jabbed her long, red claws into Beetlemon's gut and sent him flying backward.

"That didn't use her wing," Neemon said. Bokomon was too busy hiding to snap his waistband.

Suddenly Beetlemon's digicode and spirit appeared hovering in front of him. He had lost.

"There it is," the witch purred and she moved forward to take it.

~Your POV~

"You must be KIDDING!" you howled. You were staring up at a patch of sunlight and sky - approximately two hundred miles above your head. "THAT'S out?!"

A cloud floated by. You wanted to keep looking for a more normal way out… but the ominous quiet had you even more worried than the crashes.

'If anything's happened to Junpei…' you thought. Then you shook your head. 'Nothing will happen to him,' you told yourself fiercely. 'I'll make sure of that!'

"Let's go. SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon!" You spread your little armored wings to fly and went shooting up the tunnel. Towards the end it narrowed too far for you to continue. As if that would stop you.

" **Spirit Claw!** " The top of the pipe was shredded like paper, and you were left hovering in midair. Little lights like confetti floated past you, heading up into the sky.

But you were more interested in what was happening on the ground. A solid Beetlemon (that was new to you) was lying sprawled on the metal ground, looking like he'd been swatted by an enormous newspaper. And moving towards him was a chick with NO fashion sense. Not that you had any either.

She reached out for the spirit and you were instantly pissed. You had fallen on your head to get that! No way was she taking it so easy!

You dove like a falcon, ready to rip her apart. But the ugly chick was fast - she dodged your claws and a kick to your back sent you tumbling into a building. And through it too.

It hurt but you were too mad to care. You came stampeding out of the wall as if to ram her. She dodged again and was about to slash at your back - but you stopped short and caught her claws with your armored gloves. You were a fast learner.

"Impressive!" she laughed.

"You should play nice!" you snarled. " **Spirit Flame!** "

It turns out the weird things on her back were wings. She avoided your flame mostly, but the edge of one wing got singed.

"You'll pay for that!" she screeched. " **Darkness Wave!** "

You weren't intimidated. " **Spirit Claw!** "

You rushed into her attack and realized your mistake too late. The darkness surrounded you and it suddenly felt like you were being jabbed by a million needles all at once. You screamed, of course. There was no way that you couldn't. You didn't even notice as the darkness lifted you into the air.

~Kouichi POV~

"They're both reckless idiots!" Takuya fumed. No one had the heart to point out that he was too.

In fact, Ally had acted like she hadn't heard us all shouting at her to run. I could believe it - I'd already seen what she was like when she was truly angry. But her temper had gotten her into trouble. Although Junpei was safe and his digicode and spirit had vanished again, now she was being torn up by LadyDevimon.

Suddenly the darkness pulled away and the evil Digimon grabbed Dramon by the throat. "This is what you get for burning my beautiful wing!" she cackled.

Dramon began to thrash as LadyDevimon choked off her air. All I could do was clench my fists helplessly. If only we all had our spirits!

~Your POV~

You couldn't breathe! You thought that savage attack had taken all of the fight out of you, but you found yourself kicking and flailing, desperate for air. You tried to pry her fingers away from your windpipe, but they were like iron.

Abruptly the pressure loosened and you sucked in air with a ragged gasp. But before you could get another, she cut off your supply again. Torturing you.

'Sadistic witch!' you screamed mentally. Darkness clouded the edges of your vision.

It receded as LadyDevimon let you have another breath, so you saw the bolt of lightning rocket past her head. All you could hear was the blood pounding in your ears though.

Her attention left you to sneer at Beetlemon (the source of the attack), and that was just enough for you to get out one last shout.

"JUNPEI!"

~Junpei POV~

"Put her down!" I roared.

LadyDevimon just sneered at me. "Try to make me!"

Dramon had gone limp and I hoped it was just a faint. But LadyDevimon had been squeezing hard and she had those razor-sharp talons… Then I saw Dramon's tail twitch and my hope returned.

Then, with surprising strength, she pulled LadyDevimon's fingers away from her throat long enough to scream my name.

"Quiet!" The witch's claws closed around Dramon's throat again. "Shut up and die already!"

I suddenly felt a burning ignite inside me. It started in my center and grew fast. The temperature went up and it almost hurt. Then it went up more and did hurt. I didn't scream but I made a pained noise as an arrow of light and heat shot out of me and hit Dramon.

Bolts of electricity drove LadyDevimon back from Dramon with a confused howl. Light gathered around Dramon. "ELEMENTAL SHIFT!"

There was a thud, and when the light faded a new Digimon stood ready to fight.

"Beetledramon!" it rumbled.


	12. Chapter 12: The Wicked Witch Gets Pwned

Chapter 12: The Wicked Witch Gets Pwned

~Kouichi POV~

Standing on the ground where the nearly defeated Dramon had been suffering was a new Digimon. I thought at first it was another Beetlemon… but she had too many dragonish features to be a copy.

Her blue armored head looked like a dragon's, and a yellow covering extended down her neck to her chest and shoulders. Her midsection and upper arms were bare, but heavy gauntlets covered her lower arms and calves. Her blue tail was longer, thicker, and heavily armored too. On her shoulders and back was a shell that looked a lot like Beetlemon's. Sticking up from the end of her snout was a slightly curved horn.

"Beetledramon!" she growled, flexing her claws. Electricity crackled across her armor.

"Incredible!" we heard Bokomon cry. "It's Dramon's Elemental Shift ability!"

"Elemental Shift?" Beetlemon uttered.

LadyDevimon just laughed. "As if that will help! **Evil Wing!** "

She slashed at Beetledramon, but Ally caught the attack easily. Then she yanked LadyDevimon towards her, startling the evil Digimon. She lowered her horn and leaped into the air with a powerful bound.

" **Lightning Topper!** " she bellowed. She hit LadyDevimon in the gut and tossed her back with a jolt of electricity. LadyDevimon landed hard enough to raise a cloud of dust.

Beetledramon didn't land at all - the shell on her back unfurled into two armored dragon wings, and the four transparent insectoid wings kept protectively folded underneath began to buzz. Her claws hovered inches above the ground.

~Your POV~

You glanced back at Beetlemon (you had to turn partway to do it because of your armor) and got a surprise. You could see Junpei's soul inside Beetlemon the way you'd seen Beetlemon's soul before. He looked ghostly and a little pained, but the pain was certainly LadyDevimon's fault.

You held his eyes and would have smiled if you could. Junpei looked surprised.

"You look like you've still got some fight left in you," you said.

Junpei grinned and the vision of his soul faded for some reason. "You know it," Beetlemon replied. He spread his wings and joined you in the air.

With an enraged scream, LadyDevimon stormed at you. "Whoa!" you both yelled and darted out of her path.

" **Evil Wing!** " she shrieked.

You grunted as you blocked the stab with the few armored limbs you had. But the energy flowed around your defense and dug into you. You cried out and tried to slash it apart.

"Ally!" Beetlemon charged. " **Golden Thunder!** "

LadyDevimon grabbed onto him with her other hand, wincing at his attack. "You annoyances!" she spat. She began to squeeze Beetlemon's neck area.

~Junpei POV~

Ally and I were really struggling with LadyDevimon. I was feeling my injuries from earlier and she was still new to fighting. She was just managing to hold off LadyDevimon's claws, but I didn't have the strength to get loose.

Suddenly, I had a crazy idea that might get us out of this mess. "Ally!" I shouted.

Beetledramon's eye moved to focus on me, and for a second I saw a flash of Ally's human form, ghostly and looking strained with effort. It was only for a heartbeat though, and then I lost it.

I wouldn't be distracted from my crazy idea though. " **Golden Thunder!** " I roared. I put everything I had into it and directed it at Beetledramon.

'Help her,' I thought as it struck. 'Give her the strength to blast this freak out of the sky!'

She growled viciously, as savage as the time I had stolen chocolate cookies from her secret stash. But that noise was lost beneath the crackle and hiss of static jumping frantically across her armor and wings. She gripped LadyDevimon's arm, none too gently, and forced it away from her face.

LadyDevimon screeched furiously and released me to aim her left hand at Beetledramon. I just managed to drift away - my energy was gone.

" **Evil Wing!** "

Beetledramon didn't notice the new set of claws heading for her. For the first time her mouth opened, and in front of her fangs and tongue a wad of thunder gathered. " **GOLDEN THUNDER!** "

A bolt rocketed out of her mouth and struck LadyDevimon hard. She was sent flying back with such force that the building she hit was given a massive dent in her shape. For a minute she just lay there stunned.

Then Beetledramon lifted her arms over her head and brought her fists together. She roared wordlessly and strikes of thunder leaped between her and the clouded sky.

" **THOR HAMMER!** "

She brought her fists down and a pulse of electricity with a general dragon shape was sent barreling at LadyDevimon. When it struck, smaller bursts branched off and destroyed several lightning rods nearby.

'She was blasted all right,' I thought as the afterimages faded.

LadyDevimon's digicode appeared and Beetledramon moved in to hover while she scanned it. "Evil witch, bent on destruction," she said. "Be purified by my Soul!" LadyDevimon vanished and a digitama floated off.

~Your POV~

A little glowing egg soared off into the sky. You watched it go. 'Now I've seen everything,' you thought, but you knew that was a lie.

Then you heard cheering and looked down in surprise. Your friends were doing it. They were waving at you too.

"Awesome fight!" Takuya shouted.

"You sent her packing!" Izumi crowed.

Kouji and Kouichi weren't saying anything, but they were smiling up at you and waving, which made you feel just as good.

Beetlemon stood next to them, looking a little scuffed and worn. Junpei's soul had vanished and you couldn't tell what Beetlemon's expression was. But then Junpei de-evolved and gave you a wide, tired smile. You couldn't smile on the outside, but on the inside you were beaming.

A ghostly Beetlemon reappeared beside you. "Thanks," you said to him.

"Sure," he said. "But don't call me a lightning bug anymore."

"Whatever you say," you replied gratefully.

You dropped down to the others, somehow managing to land softly next to them. You studied your claws spread across the metal and then looked up at your armored wing-covers. This was so cool.


	13. Chapter 13: Mercurymon Is Shiny!

Chapter 13: Mercurymon Is Shiny!

~Junpei POV~

I watched Ally as she studied the different parts of herself curiously. It was like she'd never become a Digimon before. At one point she crossed her eyes while trying to see where her horn was and I laughed.

"Junpei-san!" Tomoki's yell startled me - it sounded scared.

I looked over and all my friends had horrified expressions on. "Your stomach!" Kouji said urgently.

I looked down and nearly fainted. Where LadyDevimon had stabbed me as Beetlemon was now a patch of exposed digicode. And it looked damaged. I probably made a squeaking noise when I saw it but to be honest the world grayed out for a while.

Claws moved into my field of vision (which was mostly the ground) and I looked up into Ally's worried eyes.

~Your POV~

Junpei looked up at you, frightened, and this time it wasn't funny at all. The place where LadyDevimon had jabbed him was a patch of damaged digicode now.

"What do we do?" you cried. Your tail began twitching nervously.

"Ally!" Kouichi said. "What about Dramon's **Spirit Flame**? Would that work?"

You hesitated. "I don't know. Do you think it would?"

"I don't know either, but it's worth a shot," he answered. "It helped Pipismon."

You were still uncertain. "Yeah, but his digicode wasn't showing…"

"Would you try already?!" Junpei yelped. "I feel really funny!"

"You look funny too," you shot back automatically. "ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Dramon!" You blinked a few times. "Oh! I'm short again!"

"Short, she says…" Izumi snorted. You were a good foot taller than her as Dramon.

"Panicking here!" Junpei reminded you.

"All right, all right," you said and squatted down for a better look. You still weren't sure if you could help, but Dramon felt confident. "Okay," you said. "No screaming."

"Screaming?!"

You ignored his gasp and took a deep breath. " **Spirit Flame**." Unlike with Pipismon, the flames didn't lick aimlessly around the wound - it headed purposely for the damaged data. Junpei flinched, expecting pain, but you had been teasing. It shouldn't hurt.

"Is it done yet?" he asked anxiously when you were almost out of breath.

You gave him a look and the last of your golden flames left your mouth. You sucked in a breath and leaned back to observe your work. The data was fixed. Junpei's solid form had been restored, but you could see beneath the top layer to the data beneath, and it looked fine too.

"Everything looks fine," you reported.

"You sure?" Junpei asked suspiciously.

You brightened and held up a fist. "I'll punch you and find out."

"I'm serious!" he snapped.

You stretched your neck up and gave him a long, level, serious stare in the eye. "I mean it, Junpei, it looks fine. Even you can tell that your image is back to normal and I assure you that the data beneath it is fixed. Dragon's honor."

Your most solemn vow eased his nerves. "Thanks."

You stood, a wide smile on your face. You were glad you could help.

The others moved in, staring at the healed spot on Junpei's stomach. "It's healed," Kouji said. "How?"

"What was that flame?" Takuya asked.

"Amazing," Izumi and Tomoki commented.

You de-evolved and began blushing. It hadn't been that big of a deal, really… And it had been Dramon's idea anyway. She deserved the credit.

"That," Bokomon said from somewhere deep in his book, "was the Fire of Creation."

"Fire of… ?" you squeaked. That sounded major.

"Creation," Bokomon finished. "It's one of AncientDrakemon-sama's abilities in a way. The **Spirit Flame** is able to repair damage or changes to data and restore it to its original state."

"Of course," Kouichi said. "That explains why it fixed Junpei and Pipismon." Then his face turned confused. "But when Ally used the **Spirit Flame** on a Cherrymon, he turned back into a digitama."

"That's because Dramon's flames burn away bad data to replace it with good data," Bokomon explained. "If a Digimon was created by adding more bad data than good data, there isn't enough information for it to be returned to normal. So, it has to start over from the egg." He closed his book with a snap.

"I think my brain melted," you announced into the silence.

"Me too," Junpei agreed.

Takuya chuckled. "And I thought I had the monopoly on firepower."

"No way," you said. "Dragons always own when it comes to fire." Suddenly you threw your arms up. "Holy crap, I just remembered!" you yelled and everyone jumped. "I found that spirit-thingy Pipismon told us about!"

"You did?!" they yelled. They crowded close, all talking at once.

"Was it Agunimon's?!"

"No way, it has to be Lobomon's."

"Was it pink?"

"Was it white and cold?"

Even Kouichi had drawn closer, though he had enough restraint to keep from bombarding you with questions. He was just as excited though, his eyes sparkling like obsidian.

You stepped back, freaking from the attention, and Junpei saved the day. He stepped in front of you and waved his arms while he talked over the other voices. "All of you, shut up! If you just back off and be quiet for a second, Ally will tell us whose it was! Quiet!"

It took longer than a second, but everyone eventually went quiet. They still stared at you though. You stayed partly behind Junpei.

"So, Ally, which spirit was it?" he asked nicely. The others all held their breath.

You thought - and made a tiny noise. "I forgot."

Everyone else fell over and Junpei put his hand over his face. "Ally, the girl with a five minute memory!" he groaned. "What do you remember?"

You thought harder. "It was a guy… It was shiny…" Your eyes widened as you remembered the important part. "And he was a jerk!"

A heartbeat of silence. "You're right, Takuya, it must've been Agunimon," Kouji chuckled.

"Bull!" your leader retorted. "It's gotta be Lobomon! The personality fits."

"I guess we're out of the running," Izumi commented sadly. Tomoki and Kouichi looked disappointed too.

"Let's go find the spirit! That'll settle this!" Takuya shouted.

"And prove my point!" Kouji replied.

"Can you find it again, Ally-han?" Bokomon asked.

You frowned and shook your head. "No, I forgot that too." Then you smiled impishly. "But I have an idea. Which way was I headed before?"

"That way," Neemon said with a point.

You trotted off that way with the others tailing you. You didn't go too far, though. Then you stopped, looked around, and cupped your hands around your mouth.

"HEY, JERK!" you yelled. "TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE, OR YOU CAN STAY IN TIME-OUT FOREVER!"

"Time-out?" you heard Izumi snicker.

You ignored the others and listened carefully. You only heard the wind.

Then you heard a sigh. "Keep walking straight ahead," the jerk grumbled. "You'll see a red door on your right. Open it and go down the stairs."

You laughed and ran ahead. "Come on!" you called back. "He learned his lesson!"

"That's a first for Takuya!" Kouji quipped.

"Put a sock in it, wolf-boy!"

You found the door and bounced down the steps. At the bottom, you waited for the others to catch up. You didn't want them to get lost.

"Now where?" you asked when they had gathered.

"Take the first right, the third left, and walk straight until you come to a fork. Follow the blue pipe overhead - it'll bring you to my room." There was a pause and you heard, almost too quiet to pick up, "Bullheaded human midget."

"I HEARD THAT!" you roared. "Watch the insults!"

"Would you two put a cork in it?!" Izumi snapped at Takuya and Kouji.

You led the way, following the spirit's directions and eventually you ended up at that tiny steamy room. You recognized the spirit near the back and the soul standing behind it. He didn't look as smug anymore and you strode proudly in.

"That's the jerk," you said, pointing. "Who are you again?"

"It's Mercurymon's spirit!" Takuya yelped. "What's he doing here in Flame Terminal?"

"I thought it'd make an adequate hiding place," Mercurymon sneered. "Though it seems I was mistaken about that."

"Holy fish," you griped, "is everything that comes out of your mouth an insult?! Maybe I should just leave you down here. I don't want to listen to your crap."

"Huh?" Takuya said.

You sighed. "Not you: him." You waved an arm at Mercurymon. "He's like the tin man with a bad attitude."

"As tempting as that is," Dramon groaned from your other side. "We need him with us. He has contributions to make along with the snide comments."

You whined but got out your D-Tector. "Oh, oh-KAY!" You took up the spirit and then stared at the screen. "But you watch how snide you are," you warned him. "Or I'll smack you good."


	14. Chapter 14: Beware of the Jealous Dragon

Chapter 14: Never Trifle with a Jealous Dragon

You all made it back outside with you leading. Your sense of direction might be nonexistent but Dramon gave you some hints when you were on the verge of getting the whole group lost.

You stretched. "Ahh, it's good to be out in the sun again!"

Takuya didn't look happy at all. "Where do we go now? We need to find the other spirits."

"Beats me," you answered. "Pipismon said Flame Terminal. He didn't list out all the detours."

"But you can hear the spirits!" he objected. "Who else do you hear around here?!"

"I only hear them when I'm close," you said defensively. "I couldn't hear Beetlemon from Forest Terminal and I couldn't hear Mercurymon from outside Flame Terminal!" You paused. "And if they're all going to take over my brain, I'd rather not hear them."

"Kumamon and Korikkakumon won't take over your brain, Ally-san, I promise," Tomoki assured you.

"Kazemon and Zephyrmon won't either," Izumi added.

The others were all silent, and although you pretended not to notice it worried you.

Finally Kouji spoke up. "Lobomon won't."

"Agunimon won't."

Kouichi was still quiet. "Kouichi?" you prompted.

He gave you a pained look. "The darkness is fickle. I can't promise anything."

"Don't be so gloomy," Junpei boomed. "You turned the darkness spirits good last time."

"A spirit's actions depend on the user," you heard yourself say. The others looked at you with surprise and you blinked, equally surprised. You shook your head. "Dramon, I think. But I'm not afraid of darkness," you assured him. "I'm not prone to anger or hatred. I'll be okay."

He just gave you that same unhappy look. "I hope so."

You held his eyes. "I will be."

You felt something strange happen just then. Your stomach fluttered pleasantly when you realized that Kouichi was worried for you. You felt touched by that worry. You began wondering what Kouichi's spirit was like. Hopefully he would be as nice as his human.

"So, where are we supposed to look now?!" Takuya yelled, shaking you out of your warm, fuzzy moment. Luckily, he hadn't directed his frustration at you.

"Would you calm down, Takuya-han?" Bokomon scolded.

"Yeah, yelling isn't helping," Izumi added.

"Why don't we split up?" Tomoki suggested. "We can ask the local Digimon if they've heard anything about the spirits."

"That might work," Kouji agreed.

"I'm game," you said with a grin.

Takuya seemed to recover his enthusiasm. "Okay. We'll all take a different part of town."

"Neemon and I will search the east!" Bokomon said. He grabbed Neemon by his red pants. "Come on, Bakamon!"

"I'm Neemon, not Bakamon," Neemon replied.

"Kouichi and I will ask in the north," Kouji said. He and his twin started off in that direction.

"Izumi and I will check the south!" Junpei shouted eagerly. He grinned at the blonde girl.

You were surprised when you felt a flare of jealousy. You hadn't thought that it would bother you if Junpei paid attention to other girls, but apparently it did. Now you began wondering what their relationship had been like when they had first been in the Digital World…

"Um, no," Izumi said immediately. "Takuya and I will go to the south. Why don't you and Tomoki go west, Junpei?"

He looked stunned by the rejection and you were relieved. But your jealousy was still prickling you. You wanted to find out more about their past together.

"I'll come with you and Takuya, if you don't mind," you said. "I'd like to get to know you two."

"Great!" Takuya said over Junpei's second noise of disappointment. "And if you hear Agunimon, let me know!"

"Obsessive, much!" Izumi teased as you headed south. Then she gave you a smile. "Though I wouldn't be mad if you tell me if you hear Kazemon."

You chuckled. "Kouichi was right. You two are a lot alike."

Your trio explored the south end of town, you keeping your 'ears' open for voices as Takuya and Izumi asked passing Digimon about the spirits. None knew anything about the spirits, and you didn't hear any random voices. After a few hours, you and Izumi were tired so you sat down in the shade of one of those giant furnace things while Takuya kept looking for more Digimon to question.

"When do you think he'll notice that we're not following him anymore?" you asked as you both watched Takuya bound after a pink bird.

"Anywhere between an hour from now and never," Izumi joked.

You chuckled but your jealousy was still simmering. Now might be a good time to find out what was between her and Junpei. But you'd play it cool of course. You weren't going to make an enemy without reason or before you were ready for a fight…

You shut your eyes and relaxed as your mind pondered questions you could ask. 'What's up with you and Junpei?' was too direct. 'How about this weather?' was too indirect. You needed something in the middle.

"Say, Ally-san… Do you like Junpei?" Izumi asked you suddenly.

You fell over, shocked. 'So much for the indirect approach!' you thought.

You said, "Of course I do. He's my best bud! We always hang out."

Izumi grinned. "Well, that wasn't quite what I meant."

"Ohhhh…" you mumbled. "I dunno. I never thought about it before." Which was true. "But he's a good friend, so I guess I might like him more someday."

You started blushing was you talked. Picturing Junpei romantically was… new.

"Let me know if you decide," Izumi said. "If Junpei has a shot at another pretty girl, maybe he'll stop flirting with me."

"Pretty?" you yelped with honest surprise. "You mean me?"

"Of course." Izumi smiled at you again. "You're pretty."

You blinked. "No way," you scoffed. "Maybe I qualify as 'cute' but not 'pretty'."

"You're pretty!" Izumi insisted. "Especially your hair." She tugged gently on one of your wavy locks. "I always thought short haircuts were too boyish, but it looks nice on you."

"I just do this because it's thick and a pain to deal with," you muttered bashfully.

"It looks pretty."

You still didn't believe Izumi, though it was nice to hear someone compliment you. And you did like your hair - when it was the right length. When it got too long, it irritated you.

Then as you mulled over Izumi's words, something else occurred to you. "So, wait," you said. "You don't like Junpei?"

Izumi sighed with exasperation. "He's a great friend," she said carefully. "But I don't… have those feelings for him."

Then your intuition told you something else. "Are you and Takuya… ?"

Izumi smiled and nodded. "We started dating a few months ago after Junpei moved to America. He doesn't know; or if he does, he's being persistent."

"And stubborn," you added. "That's Junpei."

"Takuya's even worse," Izumi laughed. "And don't get me started on Kouji!"

"It must be a Y-chromosome trait!" You both laughed, and you felt deep relief that you hadn't had to make an enemy so soon. Monsters you could handle. Humans took more thought.

You spotted Takuya storming over with a look on his face like a mother hen whose chicks had wandered away. "Incoming: angry boyfriend."

~Izumi POV~

I turned, and sure enough Takuya was on his way towards us looking peeved. Probably because we'd stopped to rest. I sighed inwardly - it would take a while to calm him down, I knew.

More annoying was that I hadn't gotten to ask Ally my other important question: did she like Kouichi?

Because it was obvious to me that he liked her.


	15. Chapter 15: The Plot Thickens Supposedly

Chapter 15: The Plot Thickens, Supposedly

Izumi eventually got Takuya to stop yelling and you wandered back into the center of the village. It looked like it was still midday - the sun was high and the sky was blue. It would've been nice if you had known where to go next.

When you got back into town, Kouji and Kouichi were already waiting there. They hadn't had any luck either. You started to get a bad feeling.

You all waited around (they waited - you circled around, exploring) until Bokomon and Neemon returned from their search. They had come up empty too.

"But most Digimon live in the west," Bokomon said. "I'm sure Junpei-han and Tomoki-han will find something."

"I hope so," Takuya growled.

You knew they wouldn't. But you said nothing and just kept studying a particularly large furnace. If life had taught you anything, it was that people hated having their hopes dashed early.

Sure enough, when Junpei and Tomoki returned they reported a find of nothing. Takuya cried out in frustration, and while Bokomon was telling him to chill, you just kept staring at your chosen furnace. No one had yet asked you what you were doing.

~Tomoki POV~

The others began talking about which way to go. Junpei-san suggested we head towards Forest Terminal like last time, but Kouichi-san said he and Ally-san had come from there already. Plus, he said, a lot of the tracks were destroyed between here and there.

Then Bokomon started listing the places nearby, none of which we had been to before. There were a few towns, a harbor, a factory -

Everyone got excited about the factory, but as Bokomon started to describe it, I noticed Ally-san standing off on her own. I watched her for a while and then I wandered over.

"What are you doing, Ally-san?" I asked curiously.

She gave me a surprised look. "I'm just thinking," she said.

"About where to go next?"

"Yup."

I waved at the others. "So are they. Why don't you go talk too?"

She smiled at me, proud yet a little… sad. "Honestly, I think better alone. I might think of something they don't if I'm over here."

Then she tilted her head to one side and studied me for a minute. Her sad smile was replaced by a warm one. "But if you wanna help me think, that would be okay," she offered. "I still think of good ideas with just one or two people around."

"Sure, I'll help!" I said.

"Did you hear of anyplace nearby?" Ally-san asked me.

"Bokomon mentioned some," I said. I listed them for her. "Everyone thinks the factory is a good idea."

"Maybe," she said. "But if we go the wrong way, it'll waste time."

"But we have to start somewhere."

"True," she said with a smile. "But I want to start with the right somewhere."

We kept thinking. "What about the towns?" she asked.

I considered it. "It's possible," I answered. "But I doubt it. When we found the spirits before, it was always outside a town, not inside."

"But there might be one there and I'm too far away to hear it," she countered.

"True," I said with a grin. "But don't you want to start with the right somewhere for certain?"

She laughed and we kept thinking. "Last is the harbor," I said.

"I've never been to a harbor before," she replied. "Are they neat?"

"I dunno," I said. "I've never been to one either."

We looked at each other as the same idea struck us both. "Have the others been to a harbor before?" she asked, eyes flashing.

"I don't think so." I was starting to get excited.

"Then it would be the perfect place for a spirit to hide, wouldn't it?" Ally-san said. "But we still have the same problem - how do we know for sure to go there?"

"Maybe the spirits we already have know," I suggested.

Ally-san gave me a stunned look. "I've been staring at the scenery for an hour and you think of a genius idea in ten minutes," she stated. "I must be getting old. Fetch me a cane!"

I giggled and she pulled out her D-Tector. "Yo, Dramon, Jerkmon," she called. "Rise and shine!"

Her D-Tector flashed and she looked left as if she saw something. I looked too, but I couldn't see it, even when I squinted.

~Your POV~

Tomoki was trying hard to see the souls, but he apparently couldn't. It was a shame because he seemed like a great kid. He would make a great little brother.

"What's up?" Dramon asked.

"I'm Mercurymon," the jerk said angrily. "I'm sure even a human can remember that much!"

You growled at the insult. "Can it," you said. "I'm sure you know way less about humans than you think you do."

"Hmph!" he said and turned away.

Dramon rolled her eyes. "A war of egos," she muttered.

"Don't fight with Dramon, Ally-san," Tomoki said. "We need her help."

You blinked. "Oh! No, I was yelling at Mercurymon, not Dramon."

"I knew you could remember it!" Mercurymon scolded.

"Dude!" you yelled. "Having a conversation over here," you said in a quieter tone.

"Dramon-san, do you know where the other spirits are?" Tomoki asked. His serious air was somewhat ruined by the fact that he was facing the wrong direction.

"Tell him 'yes'," Dramon told you.

You fell over. "YES?! You know?! Then why did you let me wander and be hungry for two days?!"

"You didn't ask," Dramon replied.

"That's it! I can't work under these conditions! I'm going on strike!"

"Whiner," Mercurymon commented.

"CAN IT!"

Tomoki was excited. "She knows?! Where should we go?!"

"The nearest one I know of is at the harbor," Dramon said. Then she looked at the other spirit. "What about you, Mercurymon?"

The shadows of his face moved to resemble a smirk. "At least one of you has manners. The ones I know of are farther away. That's all you need to know for now."

Dramon chuckled as Mercurymon vanished. "Abrasive as ever."

You gaped at her. "Why didn't you hit him? You're able to hit him. I would've hit him. But you didn't hit him."

"It's like you said before, Ally, remember?" Dramon replied. "A spirit's actions depend on the user. You influence him as much as he influences you. Keep that in mind when talking to him." And she vanished too.

"Ally-san?" Tommoki asked. "Where?"

"The harbor," you said distractedly as you thought over Dramon's advice. "She said the harbor."


	16. Chapter 16: Run Like the Wind!

Chapter 16: Run Like the Wind!

"Oh! This is so COOL!" you yelled. The closest monsters in the harbor crowd gave you strange looks. "Look at all the stuff!"

"Quit acting so excited, Ally-han. It's just a harbor," Bokomon told you.

"Yeah, but it's COOL!"

"It's loud too," Izumi added. "I guess today is market day."

"Can you hear the spirit?" Takuya asked you.

"Hear the what?" you said with surprise. Luckily, you remembered before he got mad. "Oh, right! No, I can't hear a thing in this crowd."

"Then we'll have to go somewhere quiet," Takuya announced.

"But it's COOL!" you complained.

Junpei hooked an arm around your neck and dragged you off after Takuya. "Come on, we'll find more 'cool' stuff to see."

You made some loud and rather convincing choking noises, until you saw Kouichi looking at you with obvious worry. "I'm okay," you told him. "Junpei doesn't fall for this trick anymore."

"That's 'cause I'm not squeezing that hard!" he barked.

"You can let go of me," you snapped. "I'm not gonna run away like a little kid."

He let you go and you ran off, dragging Kouichi with you. "Run away like a little kid, Kouichi! Go, go!" you shouted.

Junpei chased after you, but you were fast and tricky. You wove through the crowds and buildings until you found a little door ajar. You ducked inside, shut it, and pounced on Kouichi so he wouldn't yell and give away your hiding spot.

"Shush!" you hissed. You kept your hand over his mouth until the footsteps chasing you had gone past. Then you peeked out. There was nobody there.

"Great!" you said with a grin. "Now let's go exploring!"

"But we didn't have to run away to go exploring!" Kouichi protested. "We were all looking for the spirit anyway."

"Yeah, I know," you said. "We're looking for the spirit, but we aren't having fun." You grinned at him. "Besides, I always find this stuff with dumb luck! So, the best strategy is to look without searching."

Kouichi blinked. "To what?"

"To wander around and wait for a sign," you explained. "Come on, let's go see the water!"

~Junpei POV~

I had run almost to the edge of the town and still hadn't seen Ally or Kouichi. That could only mean that sneaky girl had hidden somewhere and waited for me to pass by.

I stopped to catch my breath in the shadow of a building. 'Why on earth did you run away, Ally?!' I thought for the hundredth time. 'Takky's not gonna like this.'

Of course, I had an idea why she had run. Takky's drive had probably made her nervous. Ally preferred to go at her own pace.

"Well, the good news is that she'll find the spirit faster. The bad news is that she might not come back," I mumbled to myself. "At least, if her independent streak wins over her good sense."

Though, I did wonder why she hadn't taken me along with her. I would've gone…

~Your POV~

"Oooooooh!" you gasped. "Neat!"

The port doubled as a marketplace and it was bustling with business. At the moment, however, you were too busy looking at the waves crashing against the concrete wall to notice. To do so, you had dangled your upper half at a dangerous angle over the low railing, causing Kouichi unending panic.

After you ignored his fourth plea for you to get down and away from the edge, he finally gave up and joined you. He didn't lean over as far as you though.

"What're you looking at that's so fascinating?" he asked.

You wriggled forward to relieve the pain of the wall-edge digging into your stomach. "I'm looking for fish or crabs or dolphins or -" Suddenly you wobbled as you overbalanced and your heart skipped a beat.

You grabbed onto the wall like a lizard and at the same time Kouichi got ahold of the back loop of your belt and yanked you back. You exhaled with relief and worked on slowing your heartbeat.

"I warned you that you were going to fall," he sighed.

"That's why I brought you along to save me," you replied flippantly. Like iron to a magnet, you were drawn back to the edge, though you only leaned your upper body over this time. "I like to watch fish swimming."

Kouichi chuckled and then abruptly grabbed your shoulder. "There's one!" he said, pointing out a few feet into the sea.

A fin was cutting through the water, heading right towards you two. It slowed to a stop and a strange, plate-covered head emerged from the waves. It stared at you and you stared back, trying to decide what it looked like. Your first thought was a turtle.

"Hi there!" it called cheerfully.

You blinked. "Hi."

"My name's Coelamon," it said brightly.

"I'm Ally," you replied. You could hardly believe you were introducing yourself to a turtle-fish.

"I'm Kouichi," Kouichi said. He sounded as dumbstruck as you felt.

You were suddenly seized by curiosity. "What sort of Digimon are you?" you asked.

"I'm an ancient fish type," it proclaimed proudly. "What about you two. What sort of creatures are you?"

"We're humans." Kouichi nodded agreement with you. "We're looking for the spirit that's supposed to be around here."

"What do you need the spirit for?" Coelamon asked in surprise.

"Something is attacking the Digital World and we were summoned here to stop it," Kouichi explained.

"You know where it is!" you declared eagerly. "Would you please tell us?"

It looked like Coelamon glanced around before it replied. "I suppose I will, but not here where anyone can hear. There's a beach on the northern harbor-coast. I'll meet you there." It ducked under the waves and was gone with a splash.

You blinked and instantly shot away from the wall. "Come on, Kouichi, move your feet!" you yelled while running north. "We have a spirit to get!"


	17. Chapter 17: Jaws Starring Nessie

Chapter 17: "Jaws" Starring Nessie

~Junpei POV~

"What do you mean she ran away?!"

"I meant exactly what I said," I replied sharply. Takuya's yelling was getting on my nerves. "As quiet as she may be, Ally's still a - a loose cannon."

"This isn't funny, Junpei-han!" Bokomon spluttered. "She's the key to finding the spirits! Weren't you watching her?!"

"I'm not her babysitter!" I snapped.

"Guys, guys, calm down!" Izumi said, stepping between me and Takuya. "It's not like we can't go find her in the town."

"Izumi's right," Kouji said. "And Kouichi is with her. He'll keep her out of trouble."

"Fine," Takuya spat. "Let's go find her, then."

~Your POV~

"IT'S THE BEEEEEEEEEEACH!" you shouted as you ran along the sand. "Let's build a sandcastle!" You sat down and began digging furiously to make a pile of sand to shape.

"Ally-chan," he chided as he jogged to your side, "we're here to talk to Coelamon, not play. We have to find the spirit."

"But - But I haven't been to a beach in years!" you whined.

He chuckled. "We can play after we get the spirit. That way Takuya won't yell."

You pouted but stood up. "All right, if it'll prevent yelling."

"The water's shallow around here," he said. "Let's go out tot he headland where it's deeper."

"Hmph!" you said.

The two of you walked along the beach near the surf-line, not talking. It wasn't anything bad, though. Kouichi wasn't much of a talker and you were still pretending to be mad. You were really enjoying the sun and the wind, but the urge to make a sandcastle was still gnawing at you.

When you reached the end of the cape, you both waited for a bit. But when Coelamon didn't show up, your attention wandered. You sat down to dig again while Kouichi kept a watch on the waves. You lost track of time for a while.

"This doesn't seem good."

Kouichi's worried voice pulled you out of your own world. You looked up at him. "What d'you mean?"

He looked down at you. "I mean, we've been here a long time and Coelamon still isn't here."

You were surprised by this and even more so when you realized the hole you were digging was hip-deep. "Oh! You're right!" You suddenly became worried too. "I wonder why."

Then the ocean exploded. A bundle of energy came rocketing out of the deep and cut a ravine in the cape only a few yards to your left. It drove in past the beach and tore up the forest as well, throwing trees into the air.

You and Kouichi were staring over your shoulders with twin looks of shock. "Did that just happen?" you asked in a monotone.

"Yes," Kouichi said, also in a monotone. "Whatever it was just happened. Definitely happened."

"What was it?" you continued.

"Hell if I know," he replied.

There was a splash and a roar, and the two of you looked back out at the ocean where a white sea monster was thrashing about. It looked like it was in a lot of pain or something. Then it dove back under the water and there were a few seconds of silence.

"Nessie?" you guessed.

Then the monster reappeared and charged up onto the beach directly at you. You yelled and scrambled out of your hole faster than you've ever moved before in the absence of bees. Don't ask. Kouichi helped pull you out of the way as the white monster collapsed over your hole with a weird noise.

"My hole!" you complained. Kouichi made a coughing noise that you suspected was covering a laugh. You replied with an irritated grunt.

Then you stomped closer to the creature, ignoring Kouichi's warning. You would yell at him later - right now, the hole-wrecker would feel your wrath. "Hey, Nessie!" you shouted. "You ruined a perfectly good sand-hole! Get off it!" You got ready to kick it to make your point.

"Don't touch me!" it bellowed and you jumped back. A ripple moved across its hide, revealing damaged data and - white splotches? That's what it looked like, white splotches, like holes in the data itself. "Aghh!"

The monster reared up and screamed again. "It hurts!" Then, with unsettling abruptness, it stopped thrashing and looked straight at you. Its eyes had gone blank.

You froze. "Uh oh."

It roared and slapped its tail at you. You barely managed to dodge and you scuttled out of its reach. As it moved towards you, you pulled out your D-Tector.

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon!" You roared back at the monster, showing your fangs fiercely. "Back off, hole-wrecker!"

You leaped at the sea monster's head to attack, noticing from the corner of your eye that Kouichi was quickly putting some distance between himself and the battlefield. You were glad; you didn't want him to get hurt by accident. " **Spirit Claw!** " you yelled.

" **Shaking Pulse!** " it thundered in response. Energy shot out of its mouth, like a compression of air, along with a terrible screeching sound.

You curled up fast in an attempt to block at the last minute. The attack hit you and sent you flying backwards. You cried out as you hit the sand, and for a second the energy pinned you down. The rest of the attack slashed a furrow in the beach behind you, throwing gobs of sand into the air.

Under a coat of sand your ears were ringing and you couldn't move for a moment. Suddenly you sensed danger. Of its own accord your body rolled to your right in a blink as a white tail hammered the sand where you had just been lying.

You rolled into a crouch and shook off your dusting of sand. You snarled at the monster. "Who are you, and what'd I ever do to you, fishface?!"

It roared again and whipped its tail at you. "I am Preciomon!" it shouted. "Surrender the spirit!"

You spread your tiny wings and took off to avoid its tail. It was close - Preciomon's tail nicked the tip of yours as you escaped. You grinned smugly, proud of having avoided the hit.

" **Solo Blue!** " Suddenly a bolt of multicolored light hit you while your defenses were down.

You didn't even have time to scream. You were knocked out and sent flying across the water.

~Kouichi POV~

"Ally!" I cried. Preciomon's attack had hit her hard and sent her flying limply through the air. She hit the water with a splash and vanished.

Preciomon roared again victoriously and threw himself into the waves to pursue her. He moved surprisingly quickly.

"No!" I yelled. I ran out into the breakers in up to my waist, but Preciomon had already disappeared under the ocean.

I smacked a fist into the water in frustration. I was powerless to help Ally like this! I hadn't minded sneaking away from the others to spend time with her, but now I could see it had been a mistake. She was in danger and Junpei wasn't anywhere nearby.

I watched the water anxiously, hoping she would surface again.

~Your POV~

You awoke suddenly and nearly panicked when you discovered you were underwater. The surface was pretty far above you, but the bottom was out of sight below you. The water was bright with sunlight, but murky from the nearby shore.

You realized you had to breathe and began paddling for the surface. But you hadn't gotten far when an enormous shadow appeared above you, blocking the sun. 'Uh oh…' you thought.

Preciomon came shooting down at you with his mouth open to swallow you. He was incredibly fast in the water, and you barely managed to dodge his mouth. You kept struggling to rise so you could fight him with a full stock of air.

Then you sensed movement in the water, and when you looked down you saw Preciomon's teeth heading for you again. You shouted something that came out as a mass of bubbles and got ready to defend yourself.

Preciomon struck you and threw you up into the air along with several swimming pools' worth of water. He hit you with another **Solo Blue** attack, sending you even farther from shore, but at least this time you were able to dive into the water with a lungful of air.

Underwater, you spotted Preciomon heading for you again and you were mad. You wanted to slice him to bits but he was too fast. For the first time, you wanted to run away - you were afraid of losing.

'I don't want to lose!' you thought desperately. 'I want to win!'

"Do you need some help to win?" a voice asked behind you.

You spun around in the water and came face-to-face with the soul you had been searching for. It looked like a human, wearing black and gold lion armor, standing calmly on the same level as you in the water.

'Who are you?' you thought.

"I'm Loweemon, the Spirit of Darkness," it replied. "Do you need my help?"

'Yes,' you thought fiercely. 'I want to beat Preciomon!'

From behind Loweemon emerged a cloud of darkness, which surrounded you completely. You couldn't see anything and you fought off panic. 'There's nothing here to be afraid of,' you told yourself.

A lion-like spirit surrounded by purple light appeared hovering in front of you. "Aren't you afraid?" Loweemon asked. "You've asked darkness for its help."

You looked at the eerie spirit and, yes, you were afraid. But then you remembered Kouichi, Junpei, and all your other friends. They all needed you to win so that you could come back and help fix the Digital World.

'I am afraid,' you admitted. 'But that doesn't change what I have to do!'

You reached out and grabbed the spirit. A shock of energy passed through you when you touched it, and you screamed, releasing a stream of bubbles into the water. The dark cloud vanished and you felt a new power inside you.

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT!"

'I'm impressed,' Loweemon said. 'You want to fight even though you're afraid. Humans never fail to surprise me.'

"Loweedramon," you growled and opened your eyes.


	18. Chapter 18: Wait, What?

Chapter 18: Wait, What?

You floated in the water, a brand-new Digimon charged with power. It was completely different from when you had become Beetledramon - for one thing, you felt lighter. You took a second to get used to your new form, though it wasn't too different from Dramon's.

Then you saw Preciomon heading for you with his mouth gaping open for an attack. You quickly gathered your darkness power and released it above and below you with a roar. From there, it expanded and formed a whirlpool of darkness. It stretched all the way to the ocean bottom where you now stood on drying sediment.

Suddenly Preciomon's head burst through the whirlpool's wall. " **Shaking Pulse!** " he yelled, but you were faster. You leapt over his attack and gave him a kick to the head to propel yourself up out of the whirlpool.

It collapsed once you were out of it, but you hit the water again when you tried to fly and realized you had no wings. "What kind of dragon doesn't have wings?!" you wondered.

Abruptly something wrapped around your leg and pulled you under again. The first thing you saw was Preciomon's head coming for you. You instinctively lashed out with a solid punch and hit the monster's nose. He paused, but only for a second.

'My punches don't have as much force underwater!' you thought as his teeth got closer.

Then you opened your mouth, determined to get serious. " **Endlich Meteor!** " you roared. A black and gold swirling batch of energy erupted out of your mouth and struck Preciomon in the back of his throat. He shrieked and pulled away, and you did it again. This time it hit his face, close to the eye.

He was stunned still for an instant and that was all the opening you needed. You swam in close enough to strike with your claws and shifted back into Dramon. " **Spirit Claw!** " you bellowed and sank your claws into him.

It didn't feel like what you had expected - you might as well have been cutting through air. You made a big arc with your arm and cut deeply into Preciomon's side. Strangely your claws left no wound, so you struck again in a different place. " **Spirit Claw!** "

It felt the same this time, except something happened. Preciomon writhed and howled, and his skin rippled to reveal his warped data. But now it was beginning to peel away like the cover of a banana. Preciomon's data was thrown off and dissolved into nothing - and Coelamon was left behind. He looked very tired.

Suddenly you realized you had to breathe. You grabbed Coelamon and hurried for the surface to get air. You burst out of the waves, gasping loudly. "Coelamon?"

He still wasn't answering, so you flapped your little wings and launched into the air. You could see Kouichi still waiting on the cape, calf-deep in the water, from anxiety you presumed. He waved to you unnecessarily, probably to relieve his worry. You glided to him faster than you usually would, concerned about Coelamon.

"Did you defeat Preciomon?" Kouichi asked when you landed.

"Yeah," you said, "but Preciomon was Coelamon with a covering of bad data." You gently set the fish down and studied him. "I was kinda hard on him. I hope he'll be okay."

Kouichi pointed and said unhappily, "I don't think that's okay."

Coelamon was covered in cracks and his data was beginning to peel too. "Oh no!" you shouted. "That's what happened to Preciomon!" Your wings fluttered with panic. "What do we do?!"

"Use your **Spirit Flame!** " Kouichi ordered. "Try to fix him!"

You took a deep breath and gently blew flames across Coelamon, hoping desperately that it would fix him. But when your air ran out, the cracks were still there. "It didn't work!" you squeaked.

"No, it did," Kouichi said in a relieved voice. "They're getting smaller. See?"

You watched and sighed hugely when you saw he was right. "Oh, thank goodness," you gasped. "For a minute there I thought I killed an innocent mon." Coelamon moved a bit and his eyes opened. "Coelamon?"

"Wha?" he said groggily. "Oh, it's you humans. Where am I?"

"You're on the cape," Kouichi said. "What do you remember?"

"Remember?" Coelamon asked. "I was coming here to meet you… then I guess I blacked out because I don't remember anything after a point. Why? What happened?"

"You were turned into a warped Preciomon," you said. "And you attacked us, so I had to fight you. I'm sorry for being so rough."

"Well, I feel okay now," Coelamon said, rolling onto his stomach. "I'm sorry for attacking you. I guess that voice got me."

"Voice?" you said.

"What voice?" Kouichi pressed.

Coelamon looked nervous. "The last thing I remember is some voice from nowhere saying, 'bring me the spirit and destroy the humans,' then some pain, and then nothing until now."

You looked up and met Kouichi's eyes. By now you knew that disembodied voices that took control of your mind and erased your memories were a bad thing. "Are you sure that's all you can remember?" you asked.

"Yes," Coelamon replied. He sounded like he might cry. "If there was more to tell, I would!"

"Okay, okay!" you yelped. You hadn't meant to upset the little guy. "We believe you! And I found the spirit already so you don't have to worry."

"You did?" Coelamon perked up a bit. "Was it the one you were looking for?"

"Absolutely," you answered. "Thanks a bunch for showing us." You gave him a big sunny smile to try and make him feel better.

It seemed to work. "That's good!" Coelamon said with a wide grin of his own.

"Since we've found the spirit we should get back to the others," Kouichi interjected. "I'm sure Takuya's in an uproar by now."

"Worrywart," you said. But the small logical voice in your head that was usually drowned out by your loud random thoughts spoke up and started nagging at you to take what he said seriously. "Ouch! Damn conscience!"

Kouichi chuckled. "Come on."

You let loose an aggravated sigh and stood up. "Yeah, better get my scolding over with."

You had plenty of time to regret giving in so easily as you went searching for the others. You were continuously thinking about the scolding you were bound to get, not only from Takky but also from Junpei. Junpei could really yell when he got mad. And if this didn't make him mad, you didn't know what would.

'Hmm. I could always run away again,' you thought. Suddenly you spotted Kouji through the crowd and running away again became the more appealing option. Kouji was kinda… unfriendly.

As Kouichi called out to his brother and wove through the mass of monsters, you quickly dodged left and ducked into the alleyway. You ran along and made a few random turns, losing yourself in the maze of buildings.

'Good, now I won't get yelled at,' you thought happily.

"But you're going to get yelled at worse when you finally rejoin the others," Loweemon said as he appeared by your side in the dim alley.

"Really, I could've told you that," Dramon sighed from behind you.

"Stop being logical, dammit!" you whined, waving your arms.

Loweemon sighed. "We can't. Since you clearly lack any logical thought processes of your own, we'll have to do it for you."

You sighed. "Logic sucks."

Loweemon chuckled and seemed ready to say more, when a dark shape abruptly detached from one of the alley walls and caught you. You shouted - not really a scream because it wasn't high-pitched - and started flailing to break the shadow's hold on you.

"Easy, Ally, it's me!"

You froze and looked over your shoulder with wide eyes. Junpei held you in a bear hug, probably to keep you from escaping. Or breaking his nose. Though escaping was first on your mind at this point.

"You scared me!" you snapped, displaying your irritation.

He let you go and frowned. "You wouldn't be so scared if you weren't off by yourself!" Then his scowl changed to confusion. "Wait, I thought Kouichi was with you."

'Here it comes,' you thought with a wince.

"Kinda," you replied vaguely.

~Junpei POV~

I knew that tone. Ally had done something she didn't want to admit. Either that, or she was messing with my head very convincingly.

If I pushed the issue, she would either admit what she had done, or she would clam up entirely and tell me when she was ready. I knew she wouldn't lie - Ally had told me that she hated lying, and she wasn't good at it anyway.

"Did you find the spirit?"

"Kinda," she answered. Translation: yes.

Suddenly I had a notion. "And let me guess: then you ditched Kouichi and ran off on your own."

She flinched as if I had hit her. "M-Maybe."

I tilted my head to the side and stared at her with exasperation. "Ally… you've got to stop doing that."

She didn't look at me and scuffed the toe of her sneaker on the ground. That was her mute version of 'no'.

"I mean it, Al," I said and stepped closer. She twitched again and flicked a glance at my eyes before looking quickly away. "I know you're shy around people you don't know. And I know you're as stubborn as a mule -" I couldn't help but chuckle at the image, "- but if you keep acting like that, my friends aren't going to like you."

"Aw…" she said in a low voice.

I knew I'd struck a nerve despite her calm reaction. Ally hated to be disliked.

"So I guess I gotta go back," she said. There was a note in her voice like she was hoping I'd let her off the hook.

"Duh," I replied.

Ally sighed hugely. "Rats."


	19. Chapter 19: Then the Butt-Kicking

Chapter 19: Then the Butt-Kicking Happened

You and Junpei walked along the dark alleys, heading back the way you had run from. Inside you were fretting worse than ever over your impending doom. Again you felt a twinge of desire to run, but Junpei knew better than Kouichi did and had a hold on your hand to lead you along. After a few feeble tugs you gave up - Junpei wasn't going to let you go.

He was looking all around, probably for the others, and you were too (though for a different reason). When you two neared the wide road where you had left Kouichi, you started to tense up involuntarily.

But as you rounded the corner and saw the road empty except for a few Digimon talking, you relaxed again and sighed. Total relief washed over you only to be replaced by worry after half a second.

Then you felt a squeeze on your hand and you looked up at Junpei. Even though he hadn't been happy about you ditching his friends he was giving you a grin. Briefly you wondered why - and then you glared up at him.

"Don't laugh at my anxiety!" you snapped.

"I'm not," he replied, but the chuckle in his voice betrayed him. "Though it is cute how you think that my friends are going to beat you up."

"They'll beat me up?!" you gasped. You suddenly started pulling away hard, trying to escape.

"Hey, hey!" With absurdly ridiculous strength Junpei held you still. "I was kidding, okay?!"

"Didn't sound like it!"

An abrupt change in the volume around you distracted you for a moment and you looked in the direction of the rising noise. From uphill rushed a wave of little pinkish Digimon, all chattering nonsense at the tops of their voices. They flowed around you like a river, and to your surprise you felt yourself being carried away.

"Wah!" you shouted, unable to resist the relentless tugging.

Being bigger and sturdier than you, Junpei was able to stay in place and he snagged your hand before you were swept away altogether. "I gotcha!" he said. The tide of Digimon pulled at you until both your arm and Junpei's were stretched out to their full extent.

Then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the Digimon were gone. You moved closer to Junpei and started laughing. "Oh man, I totally felt like I was gonna go downstream there! Thanks for the save, dude!"

Junpei grinned widely at you. "No problem - lightweight."

You gave him the look that you gave him an average of twenty times a day - narrowed eyes, knit brows, and a slight frown - and growled. "Don't push it, Captain Overconfident."

He started to laugh and your glare dissolved into a smile. A part of you noticed just then that Junpei was still holding onto your hand. You could tell that he didn't mean anything by it; he had probably just forgotten for the moment. As transparent as he was with Izumi, there was no way he would be subtle with you.

"Oi, Junpei!"

The distant shout caught you off-guard. Without thinking about it you pulled away from Junpei and turned towards the direction it had come from. That is, until you saw the rest of the group heading towards you; then you leaped to put Junpei in front of you. Takuya looked disturbingly irritated.

"Oh boy," Junpei muttered to you. "We're in for it now."

"No, probably just me," you said. You peeked around Junpei's arm and ducked back quickly.

"You know I can see you, Ally!" Takuya shouted. "So get out here and explain what you were doing!"

"Frying eggs," you answered. "What do you mean?"

"He means, why did you run off," Izumi said.

You shrugged. "I don't know. My brain told me to."

"Why'd you run off the second time?" Kouichi asked next. He looked kind of hurt so you stepped anxiously around Junpei to reassure him.

"Seriously, you've gotta knock that off," Takuya scolded. "This world is dangerous for humans. You can't ditch us when we've only got like two spirits. What's wrong with you?"

That was it, the one question that you couldn't stand. It never failed to piss you off, mostly because you could never answer it. Forgetting your usual timidity, you straightened up and glared at Takuya.

"Back off!" you snarled.

~Kouichi POV~

I had seen Ally lose her temper before and she was dangerously close right now. Takuya might be upset, but his aggressiveness was making her defensive and aggressive too.

I was about to step forward, to warn Takuya or at least get him to back off, but what happened next stopped me cold. She didn't do anything physically, but suddenly Dramon appeared. Dramon was faint and sort of… see-through.

'Is this how Ally sees the souls?' I wondered immediately. Dramon was either standing behind Ally or else she was overlapping her - I couldn't tell.

Dramon was also glaring daggers at Takuya and a collective gasp from the others made me realize that they could see her too. As we watched, darkness swirled up around Dramon, her eyes went blank, and she bared her sharp teeth like a wolf about to strike.

Junpei was the only one who didn't see; Ally was behind him and to one side, and he was focused on Takuya. "Chill out, Takky," he said. "It's not like anything bad happened. Stop taking out your disappointment on Ally!"

That seemed to break whatever was holding Ally. The darkness around her burst like a bubble, and the ghostly image of Dramon dissolved too. "Exactly!" she said loudly. "I like to do things my own way!"

~Your POV~

Seriously, didn't Takuya get that? You knew he was thickheaded, but really!

And what was the deal with everyone? Just a second ago they had all been wearing varying expressions of anger, but all of a sudden they had looked shocked. Even now they were still staring at you in the strangest way…

"What?" you asked self-consciously. "Did I sprout horns or something?" You patted your hair gingerly.

Takuya recovered first. "No, you just have 'little troublemaker' written on your forehead," he replied harshly.

All that did was confuse you, and you gave Takuya the most confused face you knew how to make. "What?"

He seemed to struggle to come up with another insult until Izumi stepped in. "Shut up, Takuya."

"What?! But -"

"Shut up, Takuya!"

"But what about -"

"Yeah, knock it off," Junpei added.

Finally Takuya subsided, though he kept up a stream of grumbling under his breath. All you were able to catch were the words, "Dramon" and "see it again."

"So whose spirit was it this time?" Izumi asked, ignoring Takuya.

You stared at her for a second and smacked your forehead with your palm when you remembered. "Oh, fish! That's right! It was Loweemon." You reached for your D-Tector, looking around to see who the lucky person was this time.

Kouichi's vaguely troubled expression shifted into a smile and he pulled his D-Tector out too. The two of you made the transfer and as you put your D-Tector away you caught sight of Kouichi's fond gaze. It was directed at the screen of his device, not at you, but you still thought it was pretty cute.


	20. Chapter 20: That's Just Cold

Chapter 20: That's Just Cold

"Okay, guys, now that we've found this spirit, let's make tracks for the factory!"

"Give it a rest, Takuya," Izumi scoffed. "You're always such a sore loser when you're wrong."

"Who says I'm wrong?!" Takuya demanded hotly. "The spirits didn't say there wasn't a spirit at the factory!"

By sheer force of volume, Takuya convinced the others - to not bother arguing with him. They quietly mumbled their agreement, Izumi muttering several insults under her breath additionally.

"Good!" Takuya cheered up immensely once he had gotten his way, still a bit of a spoiled kid at heart. Then he pointed at you with a stern look. "And you're walking in the middle so you don't run off again!"

You sighed and threw your arms up. You were never going to live that down. "Okay, okay!"

The others moved to surround you in a human corral and you walked out of the harbor town in relative silence. The awkwardness was stifling. You felt like you were walking through the middle of a tundra.

As you all made your way out along the wide dirt road to the west, you spared a glance at the others. You didn't know who was behind you since you were in the center lead position, but Takuya was on your right and Kouji was to your left. You felt your curiosity prick at you.

'I wonder… Is Kouji anything like his brother?' you thought. Kouichi had told you that they hadn't met until they had both come to the Digital World the first time, so they couldn't be too alike. 'I should talk to him a bit.'

"Hey Kouji? You're Kouichi's younger twin, right?" you asked innocently.

"Yes," Kouji growled. His voice was as cold as the Antarctic in winter.

You flinched with surprise and subsided. "Oh, okay," you said in a tiny voice.

'Damn, I think I just got frostbite.' You just thanked God that Kouji didn't turn his glare on you - he kept staring at the road ahead.

Silence returned and it was even more awkward than before, if possible.

The walk seemed to last an eternity, the only sign of passing time being the sun slowly dropping down the sky. But suddenly you stopped in mid-stride and stood up straight, taking the alert stance of a hunting dog. The others immediately stopped too and excitement began to spread.

"Is it a spirit?" Takuya demanded.

Izumi gave him a shove. "Shut up, Takuya! Let her listen."

You only took vague notice of them talking. Something was vibrating in the center of your mind. It felt a lot like when the souls spoke to you except you didn't hear a voice. But you could still feel the pull of the spirit's energy.

"It's this-a-way," you said confidently. You took off down a side path at a jog, moving with absolute purpose as if the way was marked with a line of paint.

Then when you emerged from the woods at the end of the path, you stopped before a cliff with surprise. "What's this?" Tomoki asked.

There was a wide cave mouth with piles of dirt heaped on either side and a sign hanging over it. A few broken carts sat near one dirt pile, the wood pitted and the metal rusting to a dirty red. The sign above the cave read 'Digger Digichrome'.

The whole trip you had felt the spirit's presence growing stronger and clearer, though there was still no voice coming through. Instead there were only mumblings like rocks tumbling against each other.

Still, it pulled at you. "The spirit's down there," you said, pointing at the throat of the tunnel. "Let's go."

You ran for the cave, eager to see something new, but only made it a few feet when the ground suddenly started shaking. A shadow in the depths of the cave shifted and a purple and white mole with a drill on its face stepped out into the sunset.

"RAAAAAAUUUGHHHH!" it bellowed.

"Holy cheese!" you shrieked. You went pelting back to the others with the huge Digimon pursuing you.

"Ally!" Kouichi and Junpei jumped forward to protect you, D-Tector's out and ready to go.


	21. Chapter 21: What's Mine Is Yours

Chapter 21: What's Mine Is Yours

"No, wait!" Bokomon cried. "Don't attack!"

Kouichi and Junpei stopped, turning to regard the little Digimon with surprise. "What on earth are you talking about?!" Junpei shouted. "We have to save her!"

WHOOSH! You blasted between them like you had been shot from a cannon and promptly slammed on your brakes. After screeching to a halt, you grabbed ahold of the back of Junpei's shirt and buried your face in the cloth.

The roaring Digimon stopped too once you were out of sight and glared down at the humans. "No civilians allowed!" he thundered. "Go away!"

"Everyone settle down!" Bokomon commanded. He was once again buried in the depths of his book, one paw raised to hold everyone's attention. "This is the Digger Digichrome Mine where they mine one of the Digiworld's most valuable metals. Lately business has been on the decline, but it's still an active mine. Therefore, it's restricted to visitors."

"Exactly! I am Drimongemon, the mine foreman!" Drimongemon roared. "And I say, no visitors!"

"Hey, listen Drimongemon!" Takuya argued. "We gotta come in!"

"I said no!"

Takuya looked about ready to blow up when Izumi grabbed his elbow. "Calm down, Takuya." Then to Drimongemon she said, "Pardon me, but we would like to tour your mine. I've always wanted to see a real one."

Drimongemon paused, considering. While he was distracted Junpei sidestepped over to Izumi and leaned in close. "Do you really think that'll work again?"

"Well, I don't see any problem with that," Drimongemon answered. "Follow me," he said, turning to go back into the mine.

There was a loud smack as Junpei face-palmed.

"Told you so," Izumi chuckled giving him the peace sign.

You overheard the exchange while trotting after Drimongemon and it made you giggle loudly enough for most of the group to hear. "Score one for Izumi."

The others followed after you as you bridged the boundary between outside and the mine. It was very shadowy in the tunnel, the darkness only kept at bay by electric lanterns strung along the walls, connected by wires. Despite the darkness though, the air was hot and dusty as it rushed past you, tinted with the strong scent of metal. You rubbed at your nose as the dust itched it and made your eyes water but you didn't feel a satisfying sneeze building up, just irritation.

It was also deafening in the mine. Drilling echoed all around you and the vibrations from it shook the bedrock under your feet. You could even feel it rattling the fillings deep in your mouth. It was rather uncomfortable and you fidgeted in discomfort, partly wishing that Drimongemon had refused the request for a tour. It was so loud you weren't even able to hear the spirit anymore, though you still felt the prickles on your skin meaning that it was close.

As you reached the part of the mine where side tunnels started branching off there were more interesting things to see. Man-sized yellow Digimon with drills on their faces and hands were digging at the walls to dislodge chunks of ore which they then dropped into large carts on metal tracks. Hitched up to each one was a zebra-striped horse wearing a mask. When the cart was full, the horse would haul it out of the mine as another took its place.

You stepped out of the way as one of these horse Digimon trotted past, turning its head to stare at you for a moment. It was wearing a visor with a red glow that matched its red mane.

"We have a large team of Digmon that harvest the ore from the mine walls while the ShimaUnimon carry it outside to be processed at a factory on the other side of the mountains," Drimongemon said once they were past the zone of active working. "Meanwhile a handful of Drimongemon work on expanding the lower levels. We won't be going down there since it's far too dangerous for civilians."

"Drimongemon-san, where do these tracks lead?" Tomoki asked, looking down at the curving lines of metal.

"They lead all the way to the back of the mine," Drimongemon answered. "The first motherload was found there and we're still working on getting it all out of the walls."

As the foreman talked, you looked all around at the lit-up walls, studying the grooves cut into the rock during the mining. They arched like ribs across the curved roof and a particularly big one drew your eyes down the wall almost to the floor. Suddenly you realized that you were looking at another side tunnel cut into the hard rock. But this tunnel was almost totally dark and a wooden horse was blocking off the rusty tracks from the main tunnel.

"Hey, Drimongemon. What's that tunnel over there?" you asked.

"Eh?" The cumbersome Digimon turned clumsily to see where you were pointing. "Ah, that was meant to be another main tunnel leading through another motherload. But the exploratory team had to turn back before they found it; the rock was too unstable and there were too many cave-ins.

"But it's still there and we're definitely going to get to it someday. Just as soon as we figure out how to stabilize the earth."

Curiously you strode over to the barricade to get a closer look. Resting both your palms on the painted wood, you leaned over it bringing your head into the darker tunnel. You weren't using your eyes, however; instead you were listening.

Like rocks rolling together the spirit's voice echoed up at you, mumbling short choppy sentences that vibrated the tiny bones in your inner ear. But you still couldn't tell what it was saying. The words were just too indistinct.

"So," Izumi said, coming up beside you, "is it down there?"

"Of course it is," you quipped. "It's a dark dangerous tunnel. Where else would it be?"

As you pushed back from the wooden barricade, the rest of the group crowded around on either side of you to peer into the darkness.

"Who is it?" Izumi asked.

"Can you tell what it's saying?" Tomoki added.

You shook your head. "No. I can hear it but it seems to be mumbling or something. I can't make anything out."

"I wonder if it's Kumamon…" Tomoki murmured.

"I bet it's Lobomon," Takuya commented. "He would mumble just so we wouldn't be able to tell it's him."

"Shut up, Takuya!" Kouji snapped. "I'm sure it's one of the others, like Arbormon!"

"What on earth are you humans talking about?" Drimongemon asked.

"We're traveling around looking for the spirits," Izumi explained.

"Spirits?"

"Okay, see it's like this…"

The others all gathered around Drimongemon and started explaining about the spirits to him, including Bokomon who had his giant book out again. They were a nice distraction for you as you hopped over the barricade and snuck down the darkened tunnel. The second the darkness covered you fully you could clearly feel all of the other spirits walking with you chattering quietly between themselves.

"Hey, Mercurymon?" you asked. "Whose spirit is down here?"

"You'll see when we get there, human."

His tone made you sigh. "Doi. Why on earth did I ask you? Dramon, whose spirit is down here?"

"It's -"

Suddenly footsteps pounded down the tunnel towards you. 'Damn! Caught already!' Since it was pretty shadowy in the throat of the tunnel you were a little freaked out by the approaching feet up until you heard Neemon squeal for the others to wait for him. Then your eyes were able to pick out the other forms approaching and you recognized them.

"What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be distracting Drimongemon?" You could still hear the sounds of arguing echoing down the tunnel so at least some of the others had stayed behind.

"I think Takuya, Kouji, and Izumi can handle it," the biggest shadow said in Junpei's voice.

"Indeed. Let the hotheads argue," said the smallest shadow in Bokomon's voice. "We have a spirit to find!"

You kept walking, feeling your way along the rough-hewn walls, with the others shuffling carefully behind you. The spirits stayed beside you though you couldn't hear them now that living people were so close by. But the glow cast by their souls was enough to light your path and keep you from tripping. Suddenly a glow appeared in front of you - a weakly lit lantern was still hanging on one wall. There was another farther on and a third beyond that which illuminated a pile of rubble blocking off the rest of the tunnel. The sight made you remember what Drimongemon had said about earthquakes and cave-ins.

"I guess this is as far as we go," Kouichi said doubtfully. Your group stopped by the base of the pile and you all stared at the rock and dirt helplessly.

But you weren't giving up that easily. You could hear the spirit much more clearly now, though it was still muffled as if behind a closed door. It was probably right on the other side of this wall.

"Get me out of here! Me sick of sitting in hole by myself!"

"I hear you," you said, putting your hand on the rock. "Just hang tight."

"Hurry up!"

"Sheesh. Another pushy one," you grumbled. You took a step back to examine the obstacle you were up against as a whole. It was pretty solid and intimidating but at the very top you thought you saw either a shadow or a small hole. "Hup!"

You scurried up the slope, absently noting the outraged cries as dirt showered down onto the heads of the others. You were too intent on the hole to really care though - now that you were closer you could see it was an actual hole, albeit very tiny, but it was a way through. You told the boys about it and advised them to back up before you started clawing at the rocks and dirt, sending it showering down to the floor. You cleared what you could but there were still big rocks mixed into the pile that you couldn't move. It didn't matter though; there was enough room for you to get your head and shoulders through at least.

"I'm gonna take a look, guys," you called to the others. "If I get stuck I'm gonna need you all to get me loose, okay?"

"Okay," they answered. They gathered around, watching closely as you started to push through the hole.

Wriggle, wriggle. You got your head and shoulders wedged into the gap. Stopping before you were permanently stuck (you hoped) you looked around at your surroundings. All you saw was a tiny empty space and a blank wall on the other side.

"Awww…" you groaned.

Suddenly there was a flash of light like a lightbulb burning out and a little figure appeared in the little space. It looked like an ugly garden gnome with its big hat, big feet, and big nose. It stared at you with clear suspicion. "Who you?!"

"I'm Ally. Who are you?"

"Me Grumblemon. Warrior of Earth."

"Hot dog! I knew you'd be back here!" You pulled yourself the rest of the way through the pile of rubble but suddenly the softer dirt under your hands gave way and you tumbled down the other side and landed on your head at the bottom. "OW!"

You rubbed your head in the dark - Grumblemon had vanished for a moment when you hit the ground - muttering about how damaged your brain was getting. Then a soft light reappeared and you looked up straight into Grumblemon's eyes.

"So where's your spirit, Grumblemon?" you asked.

"Why me should trust you, human?"

The light increased as Dramon appeared behind you. "Hello, Grumblemon. You don't need to worry, this is my human."

"Dramon, that you?"

"Yes, and some of the others." More light appeared as the rest of the found spirits made their presence known. "The Digital World is in trouble again."

"Must be bad trouble if you here."

"Yes, very bad. And getting worse as we speak."

"Okay." He turned and pointed at the back wall. "My spirit in there."

You wondered if you weren't seeing something or if he was screwing with you. "Um, where?"

"In there!"

"… In the wall?! How'd it get in there?!"

"Not in wall! Spirit in hidden cave behind wall!"

"Then how do I get to it?!"

"Tunnel under rock pile lead to cave, human! But it blocked so through wall shorter!"

"Listen I can't pass through solid rock. How am I supposed to go through the wall?"


	22. Chapter 22: When Rocks Collide

Chapter 22: When Rocks Collide

~Tomoki POV~

I poked my head through the tiny hole that Ally-san had just crawled through. It was pretty tight for me and I wondered how she had even made it. Not that she was fat, she was just bigger than me. On the other side it was all black, probably because I was blocking out the only source of light.

"Hey, Ally?" I called in.

"Yeah, I'm here." She sounded close and despite all the yelling a minute ago she also sounded unhurt.

"Who did you find in there?" I had the feeling that it wasn't Kumamon since it didn't feel cold so I wasn't disappointed when she told me it was Grumblemon. "Do you need any help?"

"I'm not sure yet," she said, sounding frustrated. "I'm gonna try to work it out myself but I'll let you know."

"Okay." I slid back down to Junpei and Kouichi to tell then who had been found.

They exchanged a look. "Takuya won't be very happy about that," Kouichi commented.

"I hear that," Junpei added.

Suddenly the rock below them vibrated and in the distance they heard a rumbling crash and an explosion. Junpei, Kouichi, Bokomon, Neemon, and I all turned and stared up the tunnel from where we had come.

"What was that?" I asked.

~Your POV~

With the souls - Dramon, Beetlemon, Loweemon, and Mercurymon - all lined up in front of you, you launched the discussion on getting Grumblemon's spirit out of the wall. "Okay, everyone. Who would be best to get through solid rock?"

Dramon raised her hand immediately. "My claws could take out the wall."

"And the ceiling and the floor as well," Mercurymon sniffed. "You'd bring the whole place down."

"At least I could make a hole, Mercurymon. Your talents do not include digging in rock."

"I might be able to blast through," Loweemon said thoughtfully. "But shrapnel would go everywhere and you'd probably be injured."

"I could do it," Beetlemon said. "I've got blasting attacks and my armor is much heavier."

"Let's just hope that your aim has improved, Beetlemon."

"Why don't you put a sock in it, Mercurymon?!" the thunder spirit snapped, shaking a fist at him.

"Okay, okay," you said soothingly. "Let's all calm down. Beetlemon, you're with me. Let's do this."

"Right."

You pulled out your D-Tector and felt your adrenaline surge in anticipation of some action. "Exe-"

Suddenly tremors shook the ground and you fell to your knees before you could Spirit Evolve. Your D-Tector fell from your hand and skittered across the ground into the darkness as you threw an arm over your head to protect yourself from the stones and sand raining from the ceiling.

"My D-Tector!" you cried. You dove after it, scrabbling in the dirt blindly until your fingers met plastic, and then you turned and ran for the tiny light near the ceiling that meant escape.

You had only just reached the rubble pile when there was a crack over your head and Grumblemon's soul reappeared beside you. "Watch out!" he shouted.

You glanced at him and then looked up as another resounding crack split the air. The three-way rift in the ceiling suddenly gave way and boulders came crashing down onto your head.

~Junpei POV~

With a deafening roar the ceiling caved in dumping even more rocks onto the pile blocking the tunnel. Somehow I got out of the way in time so the biggest ones missed me. I still ended up tripping and going down on my butt and a shower of dirt coated me from head to foot. It got me coughing as the air was slow to clear but eventually I realized that I must have had the presence of mind to pull Tomoki away from the danger too.

"You okay, kiddo?" I wheezed.

"Yeah," he coughed. "I'm okay."

"Bokomon? Neemon?" I called.

"We're all right," Bokomon announced from much farther down the tunnel.

"Bokomon, you sure can run fast!" Neemon exclaimed.

"Shut up, Neemon!" The sound of a waistband snap was loud in the dusty tunnel.

"Ally-san!" My heart leapt into my throat as Tomoki rushed to the enormous rock pile. The hole Ally had gone through was completely gone and the light was dimmer too - one of the lanterns was covered up now. "Junpei-san, she's trapped!"

"No!" I ran over too and started pulling out stones even though I knew the pile was too thick for me to get through alone. "Ally, can you hear me?!"

"Junpei-han!" Bokomon cried. "We have bigger problems!"

Roars and crashes resounded in the cramped space, an indicator of those bigger problems. But as far as I was concerned Ally's situation was more pressing.

"Junpei!" Suddenly I was pulled away from the wall by Kouichi. "Junpei, focus! We have to go back and help the others! We're the only ones who can fight!"

"But Ally's stuck in there! Her air's cut off!"

"And we're the only ones left who can Spirit Evolve! We have to go!"

"But -!"

"I'll stay here and keep digging, Junpei-san!"

"And we'll stay and help as well!" Bokomon announced.

"Yeah!" Neemon added.

"Idiot! Only talk when you have something useful to say!"

I really didn't want to leave everything the way it was. Ally was in trouble - serious trouble - how could I just leave? But the others were in trouble too, and unlike Ally they didn't have any spirits to protect them.

I stopped fighting against Kouichi's grip and resolved myself to the situation. "Okay, let's go. But hurry, Tomoki."

"I will!" He and the two Digimon went back to moving rocks while Kouichi and I ran towards the sounds of chaos.


	23. Chapter 23: Trapped With An Idiot

Chapter 23: Trapped With An Idiot

You were in total darkness now, hunched up with your arms over your head to protect your fragile brain. Every inch of you was covered in grit and you could tell that the space around you was much tighter. 'Am I dead? I'm so dead.'

Slowly you sat up - at least you could do that much. And your arms could move freely so maybe you had a chance of getting out of this. But… you were so sure that all those big rocks had been coming right at you. You should be crushed!

But your first priority was to get out of this pit. "Tomoki? Junpei?" you called. No answer: they probably couldn't hear you. "Well, then… Dramon? Beetlemon? Anybody?"

"How about me?" Mercurymon appeared in front of you, illuminating the space and showing you just how tiny it really was. His soul was actually bent over to fit in the air pocket and he was leaning over you with his usual self-satisfied smirk. "I don't much care to be ignored, you know."

"Ugggghhhhh!" you groaned. "It's you. Where are the others?"

"Unfortunately the others can't make themselves known at the moment," he purred. "They all used up their energy deflecting the boulders to protect you. Also Beetlemon and Loweemon have gone with their humans back to the others. They're being attacked."

You weren't surprised that Mercurymon hadn't expended any energy to protect you but you put that thought away for now. "They're WHAT?!" you shrieked. "I have to go help! How do we get out?!"

"The only way out, human, is to get Grumblemon's spirit. He'll be able to dig you out of this rock pile."

"But Beetlemon and Loweemon are both gone now!"

"Well, I could be persuaded to assist Dramon by providing my energy, since she's also exhausted and drilling through rock is not one of my specialties…" His smirk widened and you felt your stomach drop. "Of course, if you want my help you're going to have to ask nicely."

Oh, that infuriating tone! You gritted your teeth with frustration as you mentally rejected the idea of being nice to that smug so-and-so… But your mature side, usually buried beneath your nonsensical self, took control then; it made you stop and really think about the situation you were in. Was your pride really worth letting the others get hurt?

"No, Mercurymon," you said at last.

His expression warped into surprise and then anger. "Are you really that stubborn, you idiotic human?! Would you let the whole world be destroyed rather than show some respect?!"

"That's not it!" you snapped. "If the others are being attacked then I'm going to need to save some energy to help fight. I can't have you exhausting yourself when you might be needed later. Especially if all the other spirits are worn out.

"So maybe you can give her just a little energy so we can break through the wall to the spirit."

"Perhaps you're not as dumb as I thought after all." The amazement in his voice was almost insulting but you had more important things to focus on. "However, you've still forgotten what I initially asked for."

You gave him a look (you know the one) but there was no question about whether or not you would obey. "Mercurymon, would you please help us?"

He agreed with a self-satisfied chuckle.


	24. Chapter 24: I'm Some Kinda Mole Now

Chapter 24: I'm Some Kinda Mole Now

~Tomoki POV~

"Come on, guys!" I urged. I was pulling rocks from the wall as fast as I could without hurting myself but Bokomon and Neemon seemed to be struggling with the size of some of them. "We have to get Ally-san out as fast as we can!"

"We're trying, Tomoki-han! But the rocks are so heavy!" Bokomon replied.

"And Bokomon keeps dropping them on my toes!" Neemon complained.

"How would you know, Bakamon?! Did it feel like this?!"

KLUNK! "Eek! Yes, it felt just like that!"

"Bokomon, Neemon! Focus!"

"You heard him, Neemon!" Bokomon snapped Neemon's waistband and the force sent him reeling back into the rock pile. A smallish one from near the ceiling came dislodged and fell, hitting Neemon in the head.

Suddenly there was a cracking crumbling noise above them and we all leaped back as more of the ceiling collapsed down. Now the pile was even bigger!

"Ahh! Look at what you did, Bakamon!" Bokomon started snapping his waistband repeatedly while Neemon squealed in pain. "We'll never get through at this rate!"

I could tell there was a look of hopelessness on my face as I stared at the rubble. It felt like this was impossible!

"Oh… I just hope Ally-san is still okay…" I mumbled. I put my hand on the rocks, wishing I could just talk to her and know she wasn't hurt.

~Your POV~

You had stood up - with your smaller stature you could almost stand up straight unlike the two spirits - and gotten yourself oriented facing the wall separating you from Grumblemon's spirit. After a talk with Mercurymon and Dramon you had a pretty good idea of what to expect. And Mercurymon had stressed that you would have to move fast; the cave was already weakened and if Dramon took out a wall it would all come down on top of you.

You took a deep breath. "Okay. You both ready?"

"Ready," Dramon said.

"Get on with it," Mercurymon growled.

"Execute! SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon!" Without thinking you tried to stand up straight and smacked the top of your head against the stone. "Ouch!"

"Good lord, we're doomed," Mercurymon groaned.

"Knock it off!" you growled, rubbing your horned head. Then you aimed all of your concentration at the wall and flexed your claws. "I sure hope this works. **Spirit Claw!** "

You stabbed your claws into the wall clear up to your knuckles and dragged them through the rock with all your strength. It was similar to when you had used your **Spirit Claw** on Preciomon except much harder; if cutting through Preciomon had been like slicing through water then cutting the rock was like running your fingers through wet sand. Every tendon and muscle you had was standing out against the tiny green scales of your Digimon body. Your first swipe tore away the outer covering of the rock, exposing the digicode beneath. It looked normal and healthy, flowing past steadily and with its normal digital humming, unlike Preciomon's.

Without pause you jabbed the claws of your other hand into the exposed code and slashed through it again. It was no less difficult but this time the data started to peel back and flake away. You struck once more and the data dissolved even faster, until a rough hole was eaten in the wall.

"Hurry now," Mercurymon said. "The hole will bring down the roof before long."

"It's not big enough yet," you complained. The initial cracks were spreading faster than the hole through to the other side.

"Try!" he demanded. "Even you can hear the rock giving way!"

It was true, you could hear shifting in the walls and ceiling as the cracks you had created spread all over. You hesitated only a second longer and then dove for the growing hole. Fortunately it was just big enough for you to fit into right then - mostly. Your hips got stuck when you were halfway through with the hovering spirit finally in sight.

"Dammit puberty!" you hissed. You pulled twice and then gave up on that line of thought and instead reached and stretched, trying to get your talons around the spirit.

It was close; more than once stones tumbled from above and bounced off your scales and armor while your fingers were still coming up millimeters short of your glowing target. But right as there was an almighty rupture in the surrounding rock you got hold of Grumblemon's spirit and felt his energy rush through you.

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Grumbledramon!"

This new form was so different from our previous ones that for a moment you were disoriented. For one thing you were tiny now - you slipped into the hidden cave with no trouble after shifting. For another thing, your senses had changed - you still couldn't see and your hearing was only average but your sense of smell was incredible. It was practically like seeing with your eyes! You could differentiate between all the separate types of rock surrounding you, their composition, their hardness, and their fault-lines. You sensed the cave above you giving way but to your infinite relief there was a dirt-clogged hole to your right. For most Digimon this would be yet another obstacle, but Grumblemon and Dramon didn't think twice about charging into it.

You were digging as soon as you fell into the dirt and to your amazement there wasn't the slightest pause as you passed from air to soil. Your first thought was that it was just like swimming, albeit down an unlit tunnel underground, but with your new senses it might as well have been the wide open ocean at midday. The tunnel curved up and away towards the main mineshaft and you followed it eagerly.

~Tomoki POV~

Almost as soon as I put my hand on the rock pile a paw burst out right next to it. Instinctively I cried out and reeled back, frightening Bokomon and Neemon too. But it didn't look like the paw had been trying to catch me - it and its spade-shaped claws pressed flat onto the rocks as another paw emerged and the two of them together levered out a small, thickly armored head.

The jaws opened and in a deep female voice the Digimon said, "Awesome!"

"Ally-san? You're okay! And you got Grumblemon's spirit!" I was so relieved! Junpei and Kouichi were going to be overjoyed.

"Tomoki!" She also sounded happy to see me but suddenly she looked afraid. "How are the others?! Are they okay?!"

"I don't know," I replied. As I spoke, the tunnel shook and more roars echoed. But the tremors continued after the roaring stopped and I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. "Um, what's going on?"

She looked up. "Uh oh." Quickly she pulled herself out of the dirt and scuttled over to me and the two little Digimon. "We gotta move! I took out a wall to get the spirit so this whole place is going to come down!"

"You what?!" Bokomon and Neemon squealed.

"It's not like I had a choice! It already caved in on that side!" she yelled as we started to run.

"This is just great!" Bokomon howled. "This is the thanks we get for trying to dig you out!"

"Well so-o-o-o-o-orry!"


	25. Chapter 25: A Big Misunderstanding

Chapter 25: A Big Misunderstanding

~Junpei POV~

"RAAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHHHH!"

"Watch out, guys!" Having Spirit Evolved into Beetlemon, I interposed myself between my friends and the Tuskmon running amok in the Digger Digichrome Mine. " **Golden Thunder!** "

The punch sent Tuskmon stumbling back into the mine wall, narrowly missing one of the support beams. It roared in pain and fury and charged at me again. " **Horn Driver!** "

The tusks on its back lengthened and shone with light as it aimed them squarely at my midsection. "Argh!" I somehow caught the horn trying to skewer me and dug in my feet to hold the Tuskmon back since the others were still behind me.

" **Endlich Meteor!** " A stream of gold and black energy shot into Tuskmon's side knocking it over.

"Wah!" I cried as the blast toppled me over too. I heard Takuya shout as I nearly landed on top of him. "Watch it, Loweemon!"

"Sorry, Beetlemon! Kouji, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Kouichi. Takuya, Izumi, we should get out of the way." Kouji started pulling the other two farther up the mine and away from where Tuskmon was getting up.

"Gah! If I had Agunimon's spirit I could help!" Takuya spat.

"Well, you don't, so for now you'll just have to sit this one out!" Izumi scolded.

I was relieved as they left: one less thing for me to worry about. This battle and Ally's predicament were taking up enough of my brainpower. I got ready to square off against Tuskmon once it was back on its feet again.

"What's the plan, Beetlemon?" Loweemon asked me. Tuskmon had fixed its piggy little eyes on us and was growling, ready to attack.

"I don't know," I replied testily. "He's got a real thick hide and those horns of his are nothing to mess with."

Suddenly it charged us yet again with a roar. " **Horn Driver!** "

" **Endlich** -"

" **Thor Hammer!** "

Loweemon and I attacked at the same time without realizing it. It probably wouldn't have made a difference except that my technique threw me directly into his line of fire.

I bashed Tuskmon in the head but luckily for me Kouichi redirected his own blast to miss me - instead it struck one of the support posts and it burst into splinters. At the same time Tuskmon fell back into another support and sent it tumbling down.

"Argh, you humans!" Drimongemon raged from a side tunnel. "You're going to bring down my whole mine!"

"Sorry!" Loweemon called.

The shouting distracted me just long enough for Tuskmon to launch a counterattack. " **Panzer Knuckle!** " it raged, crouching to all fours and slamming its head into me.

I flew backwards, almost to where Takuya, Kouji, and Izumi were and landed flat on my back in a stupor. "Junpei!" I heard Izumi cry.

"Ugh, I feel like I was hit by a bus…" I groaned.

"And now it's aiming for Kouichi!" Kouji shouted. "Get up, Beetlemon!"

I forced myself to my feet and waded back into the fray again. " **Lightning Topper!** " But Tuskmon saw me coming and it blocked me with one of the tusks on its back. I hit the wall with a grunt and Tuskmon charged after me. I saw Loweemon readying an attack but Tuskmon noticed him too. He smacked him away with his tail and my blood froze as those eyes fixed on me again.

" **Horn Driver!** "

I don't know if it was on purpose or some twist of luck but the horns didn't hit me directly. Instead they struck the wall and brought down a load of rocks onto me. I was lucky not to be crushed, but I couldn't get out.

"RAAAUUUGGHHH!" Tuskmon seemed to really freak out then: it started to thrash about and stampeded up the mine slope straight towards the others.

"Run everyone!" Loweemon shouted. He jumped between Tuskmon and the others but with the way the monster was running they would probably all be trampled anyway.

" **Panzer Knuckle!** "

Suddenly the ground beneath Tuskmon crumbled and gave way and with a shriek it fell into a hole up to its neck. "What?!" Loweemon and I yelped.

~Your POV~

"It worked!" Your head was poking out from the side of the hole where Tuskmon was stuck - you were admiring your handiwork.

It was just a relief that you had made it in time. Kouichi, Izumi, Takuya, and Kouji had almost been shish-kabobbed by the time you got the trap hole dug. But it wouldn't be long until Tuskmon got itself out again and you had to get the others to safety before then. You slipped back into the hole you had dug and burrowed between the rocks in the direction of a scent that you recognized as Beetlemon's. You broke up the rocks around him and pushed them up to prop up the ones weighing down on his head.

"Huh?" you heard him say as your head popped out of the hardpacked dirt by his feet. "Ally! You're okay!"

"I'm fine, Junpei," you said. "And I got the spirit! Now come on, we need to get the others out of here before Tuskmon gets loose again."

"Right!" He pushed his way out of the rock pile and turned to watch the hole where Tuskmon was struggling. "I've got your back, Ally! Get the rest of them out of the mine!"

"No problem!" You started for the others but skidded to a stop when Kouichi as Loweemon ran past you. "Huh?!"

"Let's go, Beetlemon!"

"Get the right, Loweemon!"

With a roar Tuskmon launched himself out of the hole and snapped at the two of them.

" **Golden Thunder!** "

You gasped as Junpei punched Tuskmon hard, driving his jaw into the dirt. "What are you doing?! Stop it, both of you!"

You galloped back to them, rushing between the two Legendary Warriors and pivoting so that you were facing off against them. You straightened up as much as your three-foot frame would allow and held your arms out to block them. "Don't hurt him anymore!"

"What do you mean, Ally?" Kouichi asked, relaxing his fighting stance.

"But we have to purify his data!" Junpei insisted. "He's a bad Digimon!"

"No, he's not! He's just confused!" You gestured to them to stay where they were. "Watch, I'll show you!"

"Wait, Ally!" Kouichi cried, reaching after you. "Don't!"

You ignored him and approached the poor Tuskmon with your hands outstretched in an offer of peace. It was just getting back onto its feet and it snarled at you defensively. "It's okay, Tuskmon. I'm sorry about what happened to you but it's all right now."

Your gentle tone broke through its rage and it made a faint noise of confusion, blinking repeatedly. You held up one of your spade-fingered hands and it stretched its neck out to touch its nose to your gauntlet. Slowly you scratched between its reptilian nostrils and this also seemed to ease its fear and anger: it settled onto its stomach with a grumble and a suspicious glance at Loweemon and Beetlemon.

"There now," you soothed. "As long as you're calm they won't hurt you anymore. Now, how would you like to get out of this big ol' mine?"

"Yes, I would," it rumbled in a guttural voice. "Which way is out?"

"Follow us," you replied. "We'll show you out."

"Okay." It rose and plodded along after you as you waddled up the slope towards your fellow warriors.

You smiled at them triumphantly and in response the ghostly souls of your friends appeared overlapping their Digimon forms. They looked completely amazed.

"I told you so!"

"I guess you did," Kouichi chuckled. "I suppose we shouldn't doubt you so much."

"Nuts to that!" Junpei exclaimed. He broke the spell hanging over you and the souls of the two boys vanished again as they fell into line with you. "I'll doubt your sanity no matter how often you're right!"

Somehow you managed to blow a raspberry at him from between your strange new Digimon jaws. "Oh, stuff a chocolate bar in it!"

That started you all laughing, except for Tuskmon who didn't understand the humor of people. Before long the four of you made it back to the entrance of the mine where all the workers and your friends were waiting.

Their faces all changed as your group came into view. "Watch out!" Takuya shouted, pointing at you.

For a moment you were stumped and then you grasped why he was so worked up. "No, it's okay!" you answered. "Tuskmon was just disoriented down there! He's fine now!"

"Are you sure?" Tomoki asked nervously.

"It's true," Tuskmon reported. "I was confused and frightened. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I apologize to you, humans."

You, Junpei, and Kouichi all de-digivolved at this point since the fighting was over. "It's all right," Kouichi said to Tuskmon. "I don't think there was any permanent harm done."

"Speak for yourself, human!" Drimongemon cried in despair. "My mine has been torn apart by all this terrible fighting!"

"Crying about it won't fix it, you know," Kouji muttered.

Drimongemon overheard him, however, and pushed his big drill into Kouji's face. "Maybe I should have you humans clean it up, eh?!"

"Now, now, Drimongemon. It was an accident!" Izumi wheedled.

Meanwhile the rest of you were saying goodbye to Tuskmon. "Bye, Tuskmon!" you called to its retreating back.

"See you around!" Tomoki added.

"Don't go wandering into anymore mines, big guy!" Junpei shouted jovially.

"Incorrect." The sudden burst of Mercurymon's voice beside you nearly startled you out of your skin. "Tuskmon didn't wander in. Someone teleported it into that mine."

You opened your mouth to ask how he knew that but Dramon spoke before you. "That bodes very ill, Mercurymon. Though I'm glad that you noticed what was going on."

'Bodes ill?' you thought worriedly. 'And Tuskmon was… teleported?'

Whether fortunately or unfortunately the others didn't notice your preoccupation after hearing Mercurymon's announcement. You were left to stew over your thoughts as the others talked brightly all around you. It was true that the angels had said something unusual was threatening the Digital World. Could that something be the reason Tuskmon had been teleported into the mine and left to go berserk?

"YOU'VE DESTROYED YEARS OF WORK, HUMANS! OUR PRODUCTION WILL GO TO ZERO FOR MONTHS WHILE WE REPAIR WHAT YOU'VE DESTROYED!"

"Oh boy, he is really mad!" Junpei commented.

"I hope he's not going to start anything," Tomoki worried.

"He won't as long as we're over there too," Kouichi declared. "Let's go."

They all rushed over but you trailed behind as something else took possession of your attention.

"Hey you, human!"

"Grumblemon! Is something wrong?"

"Nothing wrong! But me figure since you get me out of cave, me give you help with Drimongemon."

You had knelt down to be closer to his level and at this you glanced at the giant angry mole over your shoulder. "Not to sound ungrateful, but what can you do to calm him down? He's livid."

"Huh? You talk funny, human."

"Sorry, it meant 'angry'," you explained. "And we're teammates now. You can call me Ally."

"That good simple name. Me remember."

"Thanks. I think. So what'd you have in mind for Drimongemon?"

He gave you a mischievous sharp-toothed grin in return. "Come close, me tell."

You leaned in towards the little Digimon.

~Izumi POV~

Secretly I was a little relieved when Kouichi and Junpei joined us while Drimongemon was shouting at us. It felt better having a couple of the warriors nearby in case the mole Digimon totally lost it and started attacking. And with Takuya's big mouth directly facing off against him, that was a distinct possibility.

Suddenly it occurred to me that Ally wasn't with us. Where had she gotten to?

I spotted her not far away; she was kneeling with her body angled to the side but her face pointed towards us. She didn't seem to be paying any attention to us though, since her face was distracted and her eyes unfocused. Then I saw surprise flash across her face before it was covered by a big smile. Her eyes focused on me then and I could've sworn that I saw them sparkle.

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon! ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Grumbledramon!"

"What are you doing?!" I cried as she ran towards Drimongemon.

"What's this?! Attacking me in front of my own mine?!" he roared when he saw her. "I won't stand for it!"

I think we were all a little confused when she charged past us - she might be tiny, but she sure was fast! - and I was even more confused when she pulled two hammers out of the ground and aimed them at the cliff face beside the mine entrance.

" **Snake Eye Break!** " she roared, slamming both hammers into the rock face. An incredible crater was blasted out and we were all covered in dust yet again.

"Hu-u-u-u-uma-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-an!" Drimongemon snapped at last and rumbled after her with amazing speed. I saw her burrow into the ground just before he thrust his drill in after her and I hoped she hadn't gotten caught on it.

"Wait, sir!" some of the Digmon shouted. "Look!"

The other smaller Drimongemon realized it next. "Wow! The other motherload!" they cheered.

"What?" That broke through his fury and he looked around, blinking with confusion. "Motherload?"

By then we and the rest of the mine workers had gathered around and we could see the gleam of the ore in the depths of the crack Ally had opened up. So that was what she had been doing!

"This is fantastic!" Drimongemon could sure change his tone in a flash. "Thank you, humans!"

"Ally! Are you okay?" I called at the ground, worry clear in my voice.

"Fine, thanks," she replied immediately as she popped up right where I was looking, scaring me half to death in the process. "Though at the moment I'm Grumbledramon."

"So, I guess it was Grumblemon's spirit you heard…" Takuya reasoned glumly.

"Afraid so," she replied. "But on the bright side, it's one more ally for our team."

"Yeah, sure…"


	26. Chapter 26: Worries in the Dark

Chapter 26: Worries in the Dark

"Well, I still say that we should keep heading for that factory!" Takuya shouted not long after you de-digivolved. "I'm sure Agunimon will be there!"

"We already agreed that we would, Takuya! Simmer down!" Izumi scolded.

"Really," Kouji added. "We're not kids anymore. You're going to run us into the ground if you keep pushing us so hard."

"But we're on a mission, remember?! This isn't like a vacation or something! We have to find all the spirits as fast as we can!"

"And we will," Junpei said. He thumped you on the shoulder, which nearly sent you over onto your face since you had been lost deep in thought. "With Ally keeping an ear out for those souls, we'll find all of 'em in no time! Right?"

"Right, totally," you agreed absently. You just couldn't get the conversation Mercurymon had with Dramon out of your mind.

Maybe they hadn't really been listening or maybe you were more convincing than you had given yourself credit for but no one questioned how out of it you seemed. You barely heard as one of the lesser Drimongemon directed your group to follow the cart path over the mountain to get to the refining factory. And no one heard when he questioned whether or not the factory would even have a spirit in it.

You trudged placidly along with the group for the rest of the day, still mulling over your worries. Had you felt anything strange when Tuskmon appeared? Or maybe you had seen something and not realized it? You didn't think so… but you could be forgiven for not noticing while a mine was coming down around your ears. Or maybe the puppet master hadn't even been nearby when Tuskmon had been teleported? Your head spun with thoughts.

Finally Tomoki's voice broke through your funk when he asked Takuya if you could all stop for the night. Everyone else spoke up to second the youngest Digidestined - it had been a long day for you all. Thankfully Takuya had the sense to listen to the majority and he switched from pushing you all to move faster to ordering individuals on how to set up camp for the night. You were on the bedding-collection team with Tomoki.

"Hey, Ally-san?"

"Hm?" You were surprised out of your circuitous thoughts by the sound of your name. "What's up, Tomoki?"

"Is something wrong? You've been awfully quiet all day."

His concern touched you and you almost told him what you had been thinking over since leaving the mine. But a voice deep inside you told you not to - there was no point in causing the others to worry as much as you. You would find the answer yourself soon enough.

You gave him the most convincing smile you could muster. "No, nothing's wrong. I've… just been listening really hard. That's all."

The look on his face showed that he didn't really believe you but he couldn't call you out on lying. "Well, okay… But if something's bothering you, you can always talk to me."

"I'll remember that, Tomoki. Thanks." But rather than feeling better, you felt worse for keeping a secret when he was being so nice. As if you needed more stress.

Your group settled down to bed after an extremely tiny meal of edible plants from the surrounding forest. Junpei wouldn't shut up about it right up until the moment he passed out. On the other hand you were completely docile and tame - at least initially. But when you realized that the rest of the gang was starting to pick up on your odd behavior you quickly scrambled for something quirky to do or say.

"Hey, have you guys ever tried eating tree leaves?" That was the best you could do on short notice.

"What?!" they all yelped.

"They're terrible FYI," you continued. "I thought it'd be like lettuce, but ugh! So not."

"Man, and I thought Junpei was the one who ate everything!" Takuya laughed.

"Hah! I'm an amateur compared to Ally!" your big blue friend added. "She'd eat anything!"

In response you blew a raspberry at them both. "Sue me, I was a curious little scamp way back when! And it wasn't all about what I could eat!"

That exchange seemed to reassure everyone that everything was normal and they stopped giving you weird looks for the rest of the evening. At bedtime you settled down onto the leaves you had helped collect as if you were going right to sleep. But once you heard enough convincing sleep-sounds from the others you stealthily got up and snuck away. Or tried to.

"Hummm, where do you think you're going?" Bokomon asked you in a sleepy tone.

Luckily you had a decoy plan. "I've got business to take care of out of earshot," you replied, giving him a meaningful look.

He got the message. "Very well, just be careful."

"I'll be fine. I've got my spirits."

You walked off until the glow of the campfire was gone behind the brush. With a last look around to be sure that no one had followed you, you focused on your task.

"Dramon. Mercurymon. Come out, I'd like to talk to you."

"Oh, what now?" Mercurymon griped as the two souls appeared in front of you. "Don't you ever sleep?"

"I want to talk about Tuskmon," you said with complete seriousness. "What did you mean when you said it was teleported into that mine?"

If Mercurymon was surprised he hid it well. "A Tuskmon would never accidentally wander into a mine. It's a Digimon of open plains and mountain crags not confined tunnels. Furthermore, teleportation is a specialty of mine. I would know the signs anywhere and they were present when Tuskmon appeared."

"But who would teleport it into the mine like that? And why?"

"Regrettably that is not within my expansive knowledge."

"I think it's safe to say," Dramon interjected, "that whoever was responsible is an enemy. Were it not for luck and quick action, the Digidestined could've been hurt or killed."

"Me also feel strange thing when Tuskmon appear," Grumblemon said as his soul appeared too. "Data of earth warp and twist by something. Then Tuskmon appear and feeling disappear."

"Interesting," Mercurymon mused. "Then it may not have been just any enemy but the true source of the world's damage trying to eliminate us."

"Ooh, that's creepy!" you groaned.

"If that's the case," Dramon growled with fierce intensity, "then, my fellow spirits, we must make an extra effort to protect these chosen humans until this enemy comes close enough to be destroyed!"

"Right!" Grumblemon cried.

"I agree," Mercurymon said.

"Then I'll also do my best!" you said with unexpected vigor mirroring Dramon. "I'll stick close to the others to help them find their spirits! And together we'll all save this world!"

"That's the spirit!" Dramon cheered.


	27. Chapter 27: A Treasure in the Riverbed

Chapter 27: A Treasure in the Riverbed

You sat near the mouth of your tiny refuge watching the deluge of water pouring down from above. It made a choppy sheet, hanging between you and the storm outside like a curtain. In the distance there was a flash of light and a massive roll of thunder.

There was also a storm brewing behind you. "This stupid rain is driving me crazy!" Takuya howled. "I just wanna get out of here!"

"Well, someone might just toss you out if you keep shouting!" Junpei growled.

"Really, Takuya! Can't you just relax and enjoy the rest while it lasts?" Izumi chided.

"Not when I can practically hear Agunimon's spirit calling me!"

"Please! If Agunimon's calling anybody it'd be Ally!" Junpei shouted.

You twitched at the sound of your name but kept your face pointed out the cave mouth as if you weren't listening. "I just hope that there aren't any landslides or anything," you said conversationally.

"Could that really happen, Ally-san?" Tomoki asked nervously.

"Of course! Steep slopes, loose soil, buckets of rain per second. If the ground gets soft enough gravity will bring it right down."

"Then we'd all be buried!"

"No worries. If you get buried me dig you out," Grumblemon commented.

You chuckled and repeated the statement to Tomoki in the earth spirit's exact phrasing.

"Oh, that's right. Grumblemon's the earth spirit," he replied. "He'd know if the cliff was going to collapse, right?"

"Hey, that's not a bad idea! Grumblemon, would you warn us if the cliff starts to come loose?"

"Okie dokie!" He gave you a thumbs-up and you returned it and grinned.

"There you go, one less thing to worry about."

"That's good." There was another pause as you both watched a nearby mountain stream made wild by the torrential rains and listened to the team threatening Takuya with bodily harm if he didn't shut his trap. "Hey, Ally-san?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been wondering… What's it like to talk to souls?"

"It's not really that different from talking to real people, like how I'm talking to you now," you replied thoughtfully. "It's only that no one else can see or hear them."

"Are they being nice to you?"

"Pretty nice, except for Mercurymon. But he has his moments too."

"That's good. They weren't so nice the last time around."

"Kouichi mentioned that," you said with interest. "But he didn't know much about the battles you all had since he was kinda brainwashed and all. What was it like fighting the evil spirits?"

Then you were treated to Tomoki's version of their last visit, a more optimistic and uplifting tale than Kouichi's had been. He told you of how all the rest of the group had come to the world and found their spirits and the shenanigans they had gotten up to in the early days. He went into the evil spirits: Grumblemon, Mercurymon, Arbormon, and Ranamon. The earth spirit had given them the most trouble up until they started to find their beast spirits.

"What's a beast spirit?"

"It's like a human spirit but more powerful. Grumblemon found his first and we really couldn't stand up to him until we got some of ours."

"Wow. They're really that powerful?"

"Yeah. Wait 'til you see mine!" He was suddenly filled with enthusiasm, as you had found most of them to be when discussing their spirits. "It's so cool!"

"I noticed that they're all elements. Which one's yours?"

"I have the ice spirits!"

"Neat! I bet you can freeze anything!"

Eventually you both got back to talking about the evil spirits and how each was defeated. None had been easy - especially Mercurymon, to your amazement - but in the end they had all helped the kids beat Cherubimon. And then in the final battle -

"Hey, wake up!" Dramon suddenly cried, appearing by your shoulder and making you jump. "Someone's in trouble!"

"Ally-san? Are you okay?"

"I - what?" you asked Dramon.

"In the river!" she cried. She pointed at the stream you and Tomoki had been looking at before. "They've been swept away!"

"They…" Your brain must be set on slow considering how long it took you to get her meaning but it finally sank in. You bolted to your feet, momentarily wondering if she was right, but then you saw a flash of something that wasn't muddy water. "Someone fell in the river!"

"I just said that!" Dramon shouted as you went pelting out into the pouring rain.

"Takuya-oniichan!" you heard Tomoki yell as you slipped and slid down the slick mountainside in the general direction of the riverbed. At last you reached a path along the river itself and you pushed for more speed to catch up to the bobbing head and cloth amid the rapids.

"Hang on!" you called to whoever it was.

~Junpei POV~

"How the heck does she run that fast?!" Takuya shouted.

"I think she's part cheetah!" I bellowed in reply.

We were all tumbling down the hillside in her wake - that was really the only verb to describe our progress - but Izumi was the only one who had managed to stay on her feet. The rest of us were already caked in mud (and though I hate to admit it, I was the muddiest) by the time we reached the riverbank.

Then, just as we turned to follow the puddly path, I saw Ally jump onto a tree trunk fallen across the swollen stream. At first I thought I had had a stroke or something until Kouichi spoke up.

"Ally! What are you doing?!"

Personally I thought that was the dumbest thing possible to do. Ally turned, probably to see who was yelling her name, and immediately fell over the side and into the water.

"YOU KLUTZ!" I roared. I didn't even know if she could swim! "EXECUTE: SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Beetlemon!"

I took off and flew over the rough water, waiting for her to surface so I could grab her. But a while went by and I started to panic. To put it mildly.

~Your POV~

You could swim and even enjoyed it most of the time, but this wasn't one of those times. Why did Kouichi have to yell like that and scare you off the tree? The wild current had you now and it would take a miracle to get you out. How could it get worse?

Then it got worse. Your foot got caught on an exposed root at the bottom of the river and the current pulled your leg straight, trapping you immobile under the water.

'Help!' you thought. 'Help me! Kouichi! Junpei!'

Then suddenly there was a rush of cold water that surrounded you and shocked you into opening your eyes and exhaling. Bubbles exploded from your mouth into clear water. Wait - clear water?

A soul appeared in front of you, a girl with blue armor and big eyes. "Hello, sugah!"

You wanted to reply but you had no air left - instead you clapped both hands over your mouth in an attempt to resist the urge to inhale.

"Don't fret, dahlin'," the soul reassured you. "I know what's goin' on. Just Spirit Evolve and I'll take care of the rest!"

That much you could do. You evolved (though without your usual announcement) and right away the spirit floated up out of the roots holding you captive. It looked like a raindrop and you had the feeling you knew what element it was.

"The name's Ranamon, sugah! I look forward to workin' with y'all!"

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Ranadramon!"

Instantly the water pressure lessened: it wasn't the master of you anymore. With a bubble of still water around you now, your foot slipped free and for a moment you floated in place, adjusting to your new form. Your blue armor was very smooth and rounded, good for hydrodynamics, and your feet were webbed. Your hands weren't, but that was because you still had some fierce claws in your arsenal. Behind you trailed a long serpentine tail with a fish-like fin on the end.

"Amazing," you said quietly. You could feel the flow of that tiny mountain stream from high up in the glaciers above all the way down to the ocean, as well as every tiny spring and hidden aquifer all around you. The water called to you in singing tones, like a siren calling sailors to their doom upon rocky shores.

But you could sense all the lovely water later; right now you had a Digimon to save! With a flick of your tail and a kick of your feet you pointed yourself downstream. But why swim when you could make the water itself carry you?

A narrow column of water shot you down the stream like a bullet down a gun barrel. Dodging rocks or debris was no problem - the water just flowed around it and you flowed right with it.

In no time you caught up to the poor Digimon in the current, a large monster with patchy armor and a ferocious-looking helmet. It was too big for you to just grab and haul back to shore, so…

You swung an arm up and a column of water lifted you up above the rapids as another one picked up the waterlogged Digimon. Balancing delicately atop the water you directed it to bring the two of you to the bank of the river where it set you down and returned to the rest of the water mass.

"I am in your debt, little one," the big Digimon said as it bowed to you. "You saved me from a sure drowning. And Musyamon does not forget his debts."

"Not a problem, big fella," you replied. "I couldn't just let ya get swept away."

"Ally!" Beetlemon swooped down and landed next to you. "I'm so glad you're okay! I thought you'd drowned!"

"It was close," you said. "But Ranamon appeared and saved me so I could save Musyamon."

"And I shall not forget! If you ever need my assistance you need only ask for the Great Shogun of the West!" he roared and with another bow he strode away back towards the mountaintop.

"So. Ranamon, eh?" Beetlemon asked. "Takky's not gonna like this. Again."

"Speak of the devil…"

Takuya caught up to the two of you then, stopped short, and his temper exploded. "ARE WE GONNA FIND EVERY EVIL SPIRIT BEFORE MINE?!"


	28. Chapter 28: Deep Dark Fear Part 1

Chapter 28: Deep Dark Fear Pt. 1

"Echo-cho-cho-cho-o-o-o…"

"Quack-ack-ack-ack-ack…"

"Would you two knock it off and come on?!" Takuya snapped. "We gotta get to that factory as soon as we can!"

"Okay, okay," you grumbled as he pushed past you and started into the dark cave. "Someone's inner child is crying right now."

"He's just really focused," Tomoki said as he fell into step beside you. "Takuya-oniichan is the leader so he feels responsible for us. He probably wants to find his spirit so bad so that he can help fight instead of relying on you, Kouichi, and Junpei."

You sighed and your shoulders slumped. "I'm doing my best, but it's not like I can snap my fingers and make it appear. We'll find it when we find it."

"I know," Tomoki said with a smile. "That's why I'm trying to be patient. But it's awfully hard to wait."

"I think we're all excited for when you find our spirits," Izumi said quietly as she sidled over to the two of you. "Not that I'm pressuring you! I'm just saying."

"I know. You two've been pretty patient considering -" Suddenly you interrupted yourself with a gasp. "HEY, LOOK!"

The tunnel wasn't natural, it had been dug to lay down a Trailmon track, which your group had been following since the mine. The main tunnel sloped gently upward, but your attention had been captured by a side tunnel which descended into the mountain's heart. At its entrance was an old Trailmon carriage covered in dust and dents. Your first thought was 'roller coaster!'

"Roller coaster!" you cried and charged at it. But something suddenly grabbed you by the back of your collar and yanked you away from the cart. "Gak!"

"Are you crazy?!" Junpei demanded. "You don't even know where that track leads!"

"But it'll be fun!" you yelled. "Don't you know anything about fun?!"

"I know plenty about fun! But I also know about the dangers of this world! What if that track is a dead-end and you crash?!"

"… Oh…" You stopped resisting and absently noted that your friend was holding you up on your tip-toes. "I… didn't think of that."

"Well, you should start thinking of it," Kouji growled. "This world isn't a game or a story. It's serious and everything you do has consequences."

You looked down at your feet, at a total loss for words. What could you say to that? You knew it was real life - you were living it - but did you ever think about consequences, good or bad?

While you were zoned out, Junpei put you down and the group briefly crowded around the train car to inspect it.

"I wonder what it's doing here," Izumi mused.

"Yeah, why would a Trailmon leave its car behind?" Tomoki added.

"Is this really what we're talking about right now?!" Takuya howled. "Why trains leave their cars behind in a tunnel?!"

"Calm down, Takky." Junpei moved past the others and up to the front of the train car to look down into the dark tunnel. "Huh. Hey, Ally!"

You jumped. "Eh? What?"

"C'mere and see this."

"What is it?"

"Just c'mere!"

"Okay, fine!" You pouted and moved forward cautiously. It wasn't unheard of for Junpei to try to toss you into a puddle as a prank. "So what's so great that you need me to see it and risk Takuya's wrath?"

"Look." He guided you around the car's end and down the path you saw heaps of dirt and barricades of boards nailed across the width. "See? You couldn't have gone for a ride anyway."

"Oh yeah…" Your downcast mood returned abruptly.

"Hey, it's not like this is the only tunnel in the Digital World. You'll find other rides."

"That's true!" You perked right up again, making Junpei smile. "And I bet they'll be even more awesome!"

"For sure!"

You moved closer, having seen a little sign hanging and wondering if it said something about why the tunnel was closed. But before you got close enough to read it you froze stiff in horror as a voice came oozing up through cracks in the rock.

"I know you're there. Come find me. Let me out…"

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Junpei's voice behind you nearly scared the literal crap out of you. Fortunately it also broke the trance that voice had held you in and you scrambled back from the cave's throat.

"Seriously, are you okay?"

You came back to yourself with your back pressed tight against the train car. Heavy breathing resounded in your ears and when you felt the goosebumps running up and down your arms you realized that it was your own. Not only that but you were shivering like you had been dunked in an icy lake.

"Good heavens, Ally-han! You look like you've seen a ghost!" Bokomon cried.

"I d-didn't s-see it," you stammered faintly. "But I sure h-heard it."

"You heard something?!" Takuya demanded. "What?! Where?!"

"I don't know! I don't wanna know! Don't ask because I don't know!" you shrieked. You started pulling away as if to escape around the far side of the carriage.

"Woah, hold it! Hold it!" Junpei grabbed your arm and pulled you back into the midst of the group. "Calm down, Ally, and explain what's wrong!"

You kept trying to pull away but he had you good. Finally, riddled with panic, you stopped pulling away and instead pushed back. You pressed against Junpei and wrapped your arms tight around him, burying your face into his chest and shivering wordlessly.

~Junpei POV~

I was more than a little surprised when Ally suddenly grabbed onto me. She was normally so independent and stoic - whatever she had heard must have really freaked her out. Even when she wasn't off her rocker with fear she didn't hand out hugs freely.

For an instant I forgot about all of the others as I gently patted her back. "Hey, hey. It's okay. We don't have to go down there." But it didn't seem to make her feel any better.

"Are you kidding?!" Takuya shouted. "Of course we have to go down there! It could be a spirit!"

Ally's trembling redoubled even with my arms around her and I felt the first real stirrings of anger. "Knock it off, Takky! Can't you see she's freaked out?! We're not going down there!"

"Maybe you're not but I am!"

"Takuya, come back here!" Izumi yelled. "Why are you such a doofus sometimes?!"

"We have to go after him," Kouji insisted. "He has no way to defend himself."

"You guys can. I'll stay here with Ally," I said.

"But Junpei," Tomoki said. "You, Kouichi, and Ally-san are the only ones with spirits. If you two stay behind then Kouichi will be all on his own."

"I don't mind. I don't want Ally to be scared any more than she already has been."

"Well, I mind." Kouji glared at Ally, who still had her face buried in my shirt. "We're strongest when we stick together so we should all catch up to Takuya as soon as possible."

"But Kouji…"

"No, Kouichi. It's not fair for you to shoulder all of the responsibility."

"Kouji, I don't think -"

Ignoring Izumi, the younger twin took off into the cave with Kouichi chasing after him and telling him to stop. They were followed by Bokomon and Neemon in mid-argument and then Izumi and Tomoki trailing behind. Incoherent shouting echoed back to me and Ally - I wondered if Kouji had already caught up to Takuya.

"Sheesh. What's wrong with Kouji?" I grumbled. "Some things never change."

"Hey, Junpei…" Ally's quiet voice caught my attention and I looked down: she had turned her face up and was looking at me with far less dread than before. "I… think we should go with them. If they run into whatever I heard they'll need us."

"Are you sure?" Had she forgotten how terrified she had just been? "We don't have to, you know. I'm fine staying here with you."

"No." She pushed back from me and started to walk after the rest of the group. She walked straight as an arrow but I could see her legs shaking. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to them just because we weren't there. I have a responsibility to them, don't I?"

"If you're sure…" I watched her carefully as we re-entered the tunnel; she shivered and I guessed that she was hearing whatever had initially scared her again.

~Your POV~

A tremor ran down your spine as you got to the first barrier and the voice returned to your mind. It was so cold and creepy that despite its entreaties to come find it your only thought was to run and hide. But you had to keep going, for the sake of the others.

"Ally. I think we should go back. You keep getting paler and paler."

"No, Junpei. I can deal with this."

You had the feeling that he was staring at you with disbelief but you ignored it. The terrain here was so rough that you two caught up to the rest of the Digidestined in no time flat. There was another quick argument about whether to continue on. You insisted to the others that what you were hearing was absolutely not a spirit, it was bad, really super bad. You said you would rather be anywhere - work, math class, the surface of the sun - than going to find the source of that voice. But most of them refused to listen, Takuya especially.

"Listen to me, Takuya!" you cried. "It's NOT a spirit! How can I get that through your thick skull?!"

"I'll believe it when I see it!" he snarled. "Now lead on to it already!"

'Damned if I do and damned if I don't,' you thought glumly. But you had made your decision and if you couldn't convince them to turn back you would just have to tough it out.

With a sigh you started along the path which suddenly emerged into a deep underground pit. The path narrowed abruptly and hugged the cliff wall, one fork descending into the darkness and one rising up towards the domed roof. You could tell that the source of the voice in your head was far below even though there was no sound to trace. You led them down, down to where the dirt turned to rock and the rock turned to solidified molten slag; all the way, the voice grew stronger and clearer so at least in that respect it was just like a spirit.

At one point you all had to slide down a petrified lava flow only wide enough to accommodate a single person at a time. And it's not like there was a safety bar to keep you from sliding right off the edge and into oblivion if your butt happened to hit a big bump. Your group paused at the top, silently surveying the lumpy rock and the nauseating drop beside it.

'Well, since I'm leading this Donner Party,' you thought resignedly. You took a deliberate step as your eyes picked out the safest path and your brain automatically planned to coordinate your muscles for accuracy rather than speed.

"Wait!" A hand grabbed your arm and nearly pulled you off your feet. "What are you doing?!" Kouichi demanded.

You glanced at him with honest surprise. "I thought we were headed down there? I was going to slide down first."

But as your mouth gave this answer your brain took note of how uneasy he looked and the faint tremble in his hand. And he wasn't the only one: Izumi was chewing on her lower lip and standing close to Takuya, Tomoki was shivering minutely and looking around nervously, and Junpei was also looking around and unconsciously flexing his muscles. Even Kouji looked uncomfortable, frowning vaguely and a muscle tic going in his cheek. It seems you weren't the only one feeling the negative presence now. The voice still muttered darkly in the back of your mind, getting harder and harder to ignore.

But the voices of your friends helped drown it out. "I don't think we should go any farther," Kouichi said to the rest of the group. "This doesn't feel like a spirit. It feels… wrong."

"I agree," Kouji said. "This doesn't feel right."

"Yeah." Izumi shivered and pulled at Takuya's arm timidly. "C'mon, Takuya. Let's go back to the main tunnel and continue on to the factory. Leave whatever's down here alone."

"No way! If Ally heard it then it must be a spirit! We can't just turn back!"

Then with no warning he brushed Izumi off and pushed past you to slide down the old lava flow first. You all called out his name - Takuya wasn't as careful going down as you had been planning to be - but he reached what appeared to be the bottom without mishap and stood with his hands on his hips waiting for the rest of your group.

"You doofus! Why are you so stubborn?!" Izumi shouted at him.

"Are you all coming or what?!"

Well, you couldn't let him wander off on his own. Pulling loose from Kouichi you took off down the lava flow with understandable caution. You made it to the bottom safely and emboldened by your move the others followed one by one.

Several more minutes of walking and you all came to a very strange place; a massive cavern with large pedestals sticking up out of darkness even farther below. Gentle burbling echoed up too - clearly there was an underground lake or river in this place. But it wasn't entirely natural here. There was a carved gateway etched with peculiar symbols, one half of which was burned to the point of melting. And on the ground were lines and lines of that same writing punctuated by a few symbols that you recognized.

"Hey, that looks like the sign for light," you said pointing to a spot in the etching. "And over there too."

"I see the symbol for darkness too," Kouichi said. "All over the place in fact."

"Small wonder," you said as you looked around. "Darkness is everywhere."

"Impressive humans. Now stand back and let the master work," Bokomon sniffed. He stepped forward and put a thoughtful paw on his chin with a hum. "Ah. It says that within resides a prisoner of the darkness that belongs to the light. But as the light is caged by dark, it is darkness itself that can release it. And then there's something about light's rampage and bonds of shadows but it's too melted to read."

"That makes it sound like Lobomon is somewhere down here," Kouji said over Takuya's whine of protest. "But…"

"That part about light being a prisoner of darkness can't be right," Kouichi commented. "Why would the Spirit of Light be imprisoned by darkness?"

"A brotherly spat?" you guessed. Judging by Kouji's expression he didn't think much of your glib answer. "Well, I dunno. And anyway I told you all before that it's NOT a spirit. It's something evil and wrong."

"Yeah, I get that feeling too," Izumi added. "C'mon let's go back to the main tunnel."

"Are you kidding?! We've come this far, we can't just turn around and give up!" Takuya had gotten over his funk quickly and was still raring to go solve the mystery of the voice. It seems he couldn't quite sense the frightening voice like everyone else. "I mean, if there's even a chance of it being a spirit, we have to take it! And it might not be Lobomon - it could be KendoGarurumon! The beast spirits are scarier than the human spirits!"

"Oh… That hadn't occurred to me," Kouichi said.

"I don't think it's KendoGarurumon either," Kouji announced. "My spirits could never be mistaken for evil. We're dealing with something else here."

"But there's a chance, right?" Junpei asked. "I mean, it could be one of the beast spirits, couldn't it?"

"I guess it could…" Izumi said.

"Let's go find out!" Takuya charged through the gate but quickly stopped when he reached the sharp drop-off. "Woah! Didn't see that coming."

The only way to get to the biggest pedestal in the center of the room, which presumably was the prison of the light, was to hop across smaller pedestals spaced unevenly in the pit.

"I guess it's just the three of us from here on out," Junpei said. "Let's go, kids!"

"Right." You all pulled out your D-Tectors and got ready to evolve. "SPIRIT EVOLUTION!"

"Beetlemon!" "Dramon!" "Loweemon!"

You and Beetlemon launched yourselves into flight as Loweemon began to jump between the posts. Now that you had taken Dramon's form you weren't quite as freaked out by the voice, even as close and loud as it had become. And with Junpei and Kouichi by your side you felt sure you could handle whatever was at its source. But the arrogant tone in that voice still nagged at you and made you nervous.

"I still don't think we should be doing this," you said to Beetlemon. "This is NOT a spirit, I'm telling you."

"I gotta say that I have the same feeling," he answered. "But Takky won't let it go until we check it out."

"Is there no chance that it could be a spirit? You've never heard the beast spirits before," Loweemon asked.

"Zero chance," you said flatly. "There's nothing good down here."


	29. Chapter 29: Deep Dark Fear Part 2

Chapter 29: Deep Dark Fear Pt. 2

~Junpei POV~

Ally's tone didn't inspire faith in me. If whatever was down here frightened her so badly and it was definitely not a spirit, then what were we doing here at all? Were we headed into some kind of trap?

Then we arrived before I could voice any of my thoughts. Dramon and I hovered over the column in front of the sealed prison and waited for Loweemon. Once he got there I took charge.

"All right, Loweemon. The inscription said that darkness has to release the light, so that means you're up."

"All right." He didn't sound any more enthusiastic than I felt but we both knew it had to be done. Unconsciously Dramon and I backed up as Loweemon stepped forward. "Here goes! **Endlich Meteor!** "

The beam of darkness struck the stone door chained in place and immediately it blasted out and nearly hit Loweemon. From the doorway poured wild blue fire in grasping tentacles and along with the fire came a deep creepy voice.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha…" A figure cloaked in smoke appeared on the same narrow ledge as Loweemon. "Finally. I'm finally free of that odious prison!"

"Guys, I hate to say I told you so, but there it is!" Ally yelled.

"And for once I completely agree!" I replied.

"Let's remember to tell Takuya!" Kouichi added. "Now, who are you?!"

With booming footsteps the figure, a tall buff guy wrapped in chains with a metal skull helmet, stepped into clear air. The links dangling from his wrists whipped sharply as his arms swung until they skittered to a stop as he did. "I am SkullMeramon. I'm glad you've set me free - I have a lot of havoc to wreak."

"Hold it right there, big fella." I quickly jumped into his path to keep him from leaping off towards the spirit-less members of our group. "We can't let you go running off to do whatever you please."

"Especially if that something is havoc," Dramon chimed in.

"If you mean to do harm then we'll stop you right here," Loweemon growled. "If darkness set you free then darkness can trap you again! **Endlich Meteor!** "

He fired a powerful blast at SkullMeramon, but the giant monster easily slapped it aside. "How adorable. You three think you can stop me. I'll squash you first."

"No way!" I shouted. " **Golden Thunder!** "

"Don't forget me! **Spirit Claw!** "

Dramon and I both roared and charged. But when we were within arm's reach of SkullMeramon, I saw something come flying at the both of us from out of the corner of my eye. Suddenly a chain slammed into me and knocked me into Dramon like a wrecking ball. Thank goodness we both had wings or we would've been done for.

"Ha ha ha! Do you still want to play?!" SkullMeramon roared. He playfully swung his fiery chain, dividing his attention between us and Loweemon. "'Cause I'm just getting warmed up!"

"Ugh, that was as bad as one of your puns, Junpei," Ally groaned.

"Very funny. Now let's focus, okay?"

"Okay, boss. How do we do this?"

"It's gonna be tough. But I think if we all work together we can beat him." I wasn't much of one for battle strategies but for the sake of all my friends I would try. "Loweemon, give him another blast! We have to wear him down!"

"You got it!" He attacked again but was again knocked away.

"Now while he's got him distracted we'll surround the big jerk and attack at the same time," I said to Dramon more quietly.

She nodded once. "Right. I'll get his back." Diving below the flat level of the pedestal so as not to be seen, Dramon came up behind SkullMeramon's prison and waited for my signal to charge.

I moved in on SkullMeramon's side and got his attention to give Loweemon a chance to get ready too. "Hey, ugly! Yeah, I'm talkin' to you! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?!"

"What are you talking about?! There's no one here my own size!"

"Unless you count the three of us together!" I shouted.

Loweemon leapt up and in his hand appeared a long black lance. " **Shadow Lance!** "

I concentrated lightning in my hands and lifted them over my head for a crushing blow. " **Thor Hammer!** "

Dramon leapt out of hiding to attack, the sharp edges of her claws glowing an intense gold. " **Spirit Claw!** "

But I guess we hadn't fooled SkullMeramon. He slapped the tip of of the lance away easily and at the same time flung a chain over his shoulder with his other hand. It wrapped around Dramon's attacking arm and before she could react he pulled her into my line of attack.

"No!" I cried but it was too late to stop my followthrough. The last thing I saw was one of her frightened eyes before my attack connected between her neck and wings with a crunch. She dug a crater in the ground when she hit and for a heartstopping second she didn't move.

"Junpei!" Kouichi's shout woke me from my trance and I saw SkullMeramon squaring off against me.

"Too slow. **Heat Chain!** "

His whole chain burst into pale blue flames and he swung it with a lot more force. It was like a bomb when it hit me and slammed me into the rock wall of his prison where I dug my own crater.

~Your POV~

Boy, that had been some hit. Beetlemon had nearly knocked the scales off of you, and the electricity hadn't been much fun either. But you didn't have the luxury of lying around in a daze - you still had a fight to win.

"Come on, sugah! This is no time to be lyin' around like a sack o' cotton!"

Hearing Ranamon's southern drawl right in your ear got you to pull yourself up into a kneeling position where you paused to gather your wits. "I'm not lying around on purpose. That punch from Beetlemon really hurt, you know." You rubbed gingerly at the sight of impact on your back.

"Oh, boo hoo. Y'all can't wimp out now. Those boys'll think you're just a helpless little girl!"

"I am not!" you cried. You couldn't stand gender discrimination - it even made you forget the pain. "I'll show them!"

Ranamon cheered as you got to your feet but then Mercurymon appeared and stopped you. "Did you lose what little mind you had? That monster is merely toying with you all."

"Then what do you suggest?!" you snapped.

Mercurymon paused and did his smug little smile before answering - he was sure one to talk about toying with others. "I think that it would be best if maybe you doused his fire with a torrent of water. Don't you think so?"

The idea clicked for you. "Oh!"

"Oh, Mercurymon! That's positively brilliant!" Ranamon gushed. "Let me at the brute! I'll give him a lesson in pain he'll never forget!"

"With pleasure!"

"Ally!" Loweemon came running over, clearly full of concern. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better," you replied.

"Can you still fight?"

"I can always fight when my friends need me."

"Good." The two of you stood alert as SkullMeramon turned around and got you in his sights. "I don't suppose you have a plan, do you?"

"Junpei's plan can work. I think we were just using the wrong element. ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Ranadramon!"

"Good idea! Maybe water will weaken him enough for us to lock him up again!"

"That's the plan!"

"Bwa ha ha!" To say that SkullMeramon was not impressed by your tiny new form would be an understatement. "You really think that a water-wielder that small could defeat me?!"

"Haven't you ever heard that big things come in small packages?!" you spat. "'Cause you're about to find out! **Rain Stream!** "

Power crackled around your fingertips as you threw your arms up and suddenly a cloud appeared over SkullMeramon's head. Drops fell, then a downpour, and then it became like a sink faucet. As steam rose from SkullMeramon's body, his amusement vanished.

"So, you wanna play rough, girlie?!" He whipped one of his chains around but you and Loweemon dodged.

The second chain however scored a direct hit on you. It struck your middle and rocketed you sideways towards the edge of your little arena. But Loweemon saw your distress and managed to catch you without getting thrown off the edge.

"This one's really tough," you grunted.

"I'll say."

"So much for that," SkullMeramon chuckled. "Got any other tricks?"

"How about this?!" Beetlemon had recovered from the big hit he had taken and was ready to fight again. " **Golden Thunder!** "

As he slammed his fist into the ground you spotted what he was aiming for by the light of the lightning: a giant water puddle, the aftermath of your attack. It had gathered in a shallow dip in the rock which just happened to be where SkullMeramon was standing.

Electricity surged through him and he bellowed in pain. "Yeah! How do you like us now?!" Beetlemon crowed.

"Just kidding!" SkullMeramon relaxed as if he were completely unaffected by the electricity shooting through his body! "You all really need to put more effort into this. Like so: **Heat Chain!** "

But rather than trying to hit any of you, the chains caught alight and wrapped all up and down SkullMeramon's arms. He then drew back and slapped his hands together with a deafening crack. However your ears were the least of your concerns: as soon as he had done his move he was surrounded by the whitest, most penetrating, most blinding light you had ever beheld. For a second you were sure that your retinas had been scorched clear out of your eyeballs. You reflexively lifted an arm to cover your eyes but it was no help; the light reflected off of everything. Hell, it could even have been going right through you - you couldn't tell. And even though Loweemon was right next to you, you were essentially cut off in your own white world.

From the direction of SkullMeramon and Beetlemon you heard fighting sounds and grunts of pain. Odds were the pain was all Beetlemon's.

"Now what do we do?" you cried. "I can't attack what I can't even see!"

"I have an idea," Loweemon said to you. "Remember how the inscription said that the prisoner of darkness could only be released by the darkness? Well, if darkness can imprison him again, then maybe we just need more darkness to do it."

"I see," you said. "We did need another element, but it wasn't water. It's darkness! "Let's give it a try!"

You rolled into a crouch and concentrated on the feeling of darkness. "ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Loweedramon!"

Instantly you felt the intense light draining your energy. That was the first thing you needed to put a stop to. You groped blindly for a few seconds and at last found Loweemon's hand by your side.

"Here," you said as you slipped your hand into his and gripped firmly.

"W-What are you doing?" The nervousness in his voice would probably have been funny at any other point in time. But right now you were all business.

"Focus," you said calmly. "Together we're strong enough to block this light."

You bowed your head slightly and focused dark energy in your hand, hoping that Kouichi would do the same. He seemed to catch on after a minute and you felt his dark energy swirl against yours. The two of you rolled the energy back and forth between you, gathering more and more until it was of respectable strength. Then you both pushed it outward, sort of like blowing a gum bubble, and got it to form a protective shield around you. Right away your strength began to return and you could open your eyes without being blinded.

"… It worked."

"Of course it did." You hadn't doubted for a moment that it would. But now you could clearly see the beating being rained down onto Beetlemon and you surged to your feet. "Junpei!"

"Wait!" Loweemon fought to hold you back. "We just got our strength up enough to resist. We can't just go charging over without caution!"

Deep down you knew he was right but it didn't ease your anger. You gritted your teeth and shook off his hand though kept yourself under control otherwise. "I'm going to blast him good for this."

"So am I." Together you looked around at your shield. "Can we make this bigger? If we get it around him we can dampen the light."

"It's too slow," you answered. "And we're both vulnerable while it's expanding. One hit and it could vanish completely."

"Then maybe we just have to attack from within here." Kouichi's tone was firmer - it seemed he had already made his decision.

You were distracted, staring down at your armored hands with a furrowed brow. It felt like something was missing, like this form wasn't complete yet. But how could you reach a higher form?

"Ally, you keep trying to spread the shield," Kouichi told you. "I'll try to get SkullMeramon's attention off of Junpei. And if he attacks I'll protect you."

"Okay." You knelt and pushed at the darkness but it was so heavy. Alone, it was like trying to push a giant cube of granite. But you kept at it while also searching for that more evolved form inside.

" **Endlich Meteor!** " Loweemon's attack was massive but even so it began to dwindle as soon as it left your protective bubble until it was hardly more than a cloud of vapor. It had no effect on SkullMeramon. "Oh no."

SkullMeramon was now stomping on Beetlemon with his massive boot, laughing like a kid at a carnival. It utterly infuriated you and you reached even deeper. You needed the power to stop all of this! It had to be somewhere inside you!

'Come on, darkness! I need to save Junpei! I know I can!'

Suddenly the image of an enormous sphinx popped into your mind. Its black and gold armor looked just like Loweemon's, but it was so much bigger and projected an air of ancient power. This Digimon wouldn't think twice about crushing SkullMeramon like a grape underfoot.

"You are just beginning," you heard a voice say. "True power still lies in your future. Until then you must make do with what you have already unlocked."

Then the image vanished and you were back in the real world feeling a new surge of power. You reached out and put a hand on Loweemon's shoulder. "Kouichi. Let's take the fight to him now. Ready?"

He looked at you in surprise. "But what about the light?"

You stepped past and up to the barrier's edge, utterly focused on SkullMeramon. "You leave the light to me."

From the plates on your back grew two golden lengths of armor, crisscrossing elegantly like thick netting. They were wings about an arm's length long but with very little substance. They didn't look like the sort of wings that would be able to support you in the air. But from them spread folds of inky-black which arched over your back in wings many times the size of your body. Now these were wings that could carry you in flight!

"Amazing!" Whatever Kouichi had been expecting you to do, you had clearly exceeded it.

"Get ready. I'm gonna hit the lights and then we're gonna pound him into the ground."

"Right." Barely waiting for his answer you jumped into the air, drew your wings back, and then thrust them forward to wrap around the entire pedestal. The darkness fell like a curtain around you all and immediately SkullMeramon's blazing light was brought under control.

That got him to notice you again. "What?!" he demanded, finally turning away from poor Beetlemon.

" **Endlich Meteor!** " Loweemon's burst of energy struck SkullMeramon full on his back and sent him flying into the wall. Meanwhile you came down for a landing, still generating the protective darkness around your friends.

" **Endlich Meteor!** " you cried. You spat a stream of precision energy that slammed his head into the stone again. "Loweemon, keep him busy! I'll check on Junpei!"

"No problem!" Your paths crossed as you each ran to your separate destinations. "Feel the power of the shadows, SkullMeramon!"

The fighting renewed as you knelt by Beetlemon and put a gentle hand on his shoulder between the plates of armor. "Junpei? Junpei, talk to me!"

To your relief he stirred and groaned. "Ugh… Did I get him?"

"'Fraid not," you said. "Though not for lack of trying."

"Beans." You helped him get into a kneeling position, being careful to keep one eye and ear on the battle behind you. "Hey, how is Kouichi doing so well?"

"I'm amplifying his power and squashing SkullMeramon's at the same time. I tried to do the same for you as Ranadramon but it didn't work out so well."

"Of all the nerve!" the water warrior shouted. "This is the thanks I get for tryin' to help?!"

"I'm not criticizing you! I'm just saying that we were thinking in terms of fire when we should've been thinking about light!"

"Come on," Junpei interrupted. "We can't let him fight alone. Let's finish him off with one big blast."

"Don't overdo it," you warned.

The two of you rejoined Loweemon just in time; SkullMeramon had snagged one of his chains on Loweemon's **Shadow Lance** to immobilize him to land a blow with the other chain. But Beetlemon grabbed it first as you charged SkullMeramon's legs with your own **Shadow Lance**. You struck one and weakened his stance to let Beetlemon yank him off his feet.

"This is for making me hit my friend!" he yelled. " **Golden Thunder!** "

As his fist connected with the metal jaw you darted over to Loweemon and with a flick of your lance you shattered the chain holding him captive. Then the two of you waited as SkullMeramon came flying through the air at you. At the perfect moment you all attacked together.

" **Endlich Meteor!** "

" **Endlich Meteor!** "

" **Thor Hammer!** "

"AAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!" Your heart soared when SkullMeramon froze and his code appeared. You were about to retrieve it when suddenly the darkness making up your wings began to fade and your energy plummeted.

With a groan you dropped to one knee, fighting to stay conscious. "Quick, Loweemon! Grab the code!"

He hesitated for a second before leaping past you and presenting his D-Tector. "The stronger the light, the stronger the shadows! Misguided agent of light, be purified by the Darkness!"

SkullMeramon's egg floated off as the three of you sagged with exhaustion. Kouichi managed to keep his Digimon form but you de-digivolved involuntarily from sheer tiredness and fell over onto your side. The world around you swirled and started to gray out and the last sight you could remember seeing were Loweemon's feet coming closer.

~Kouichi POV~

I knelt by Ally and called her name but got no response - it appeared she was only semiconscious. Had that blow from Beetlemon done more damage than we had realized? I was just about to pick her up and go leaping back to the group (which at my current energy level was probably all I had left in me) when I heard my name being called. For a confused moment I thought it was Ally, but no, I was looking right at her and she wasn't moving. Then it was probably Junpei.

He was over by the former prison and like Ally he had de-digivolved, probably due to his injuries. He was sitting up though and leaning against the structure fully conscious, so he seemed to be doing a little better than she was.

He was clearly worried but lacked the energy to move closer. "How is she?"

"I think she's unconscious. I'm sure she's used up all of her strength just to keep us safe in the fight."

"Is she hurt?"

"No, she looks fine." She probably just needs rest."

"Good."

I don't know why but his relief bothered me. I mean, I was glad that Ally was okay too but for some reason Junpei's tone made me unhappy. But I shook it off and brought her over near Junpei, though I set her down just out of his reach. "We should just relax for a moment here," I said. "Once you and Ally are feeling better we'll head back to the others."

"They'll be worried. Maybe we should go now to let them know we're okay."

"No." I tried to sound friendly but I still heard the chill in my own voice. "I'll stay here with the two of you."

It was very awkward between us until Ally finally woke up again.


	30. Chapter 30: A Stop in the Desert

Chapter 30: A Stop In the Desert

Your memories were pretty blurry after the end of the fight against SkullMeramon. The next clear recollection you had was of waking up onboard a Trailmon. You were stretched out on one of the flat padded seats, feeling the lumps in the cushion digging into your back with each hill the Trailmon's car crossed. It took a little longer for your brain to catch up after you opened your eyes. Once it had, you started with alarm and fell off the seat, hitting the floorboards with a bang. "Ahhh!"

"She's awake!" Tomoki yelled.

Feet pounded over and then all your friends started talking at once asking if you were okay. Then, belatedly, hands got hold of your arms and helped pull you to your feet.

"What? Where?" you squeaked.

"You had us worried, Ally-han!" Bokomon scolded. "You were asleep for hours! We're already deep in the desert!"

"Speaking of which, are we ever going to get someplace or is this whole trip going to be sand and heat?" Izumi commented.

"So… SkullMeramon?" you asked Kouichi, who was one of the ones holding you on your feet.

"We beat him."

"It was thanks to that shield you made," Junpei added. Like Kouichi he was helping to hold you up from your other side. "If not for that I would've been flattened."

"We saw it from the gate," Tomoki said. "How did you do it, Ally-san?"

For a moment you just looked around blankly at each of them. You couldn't tell what was memory and what was conjecture at this point. You thought that you remembered making the shield with your wings after… after meeting a dream-sphinx? No, that was ridiculous. But wasn't this whole world ridiculous when you got right down to it? So without being totally conscious how would you know what was real and what wasn't?

"I really don't know," you finally answered. "All of a sudden I was filled with power and and I sprouted wings that I didn't have before. I can't explain why or how."

"Well, it's very lucky for us that you found the strength, Ally-han. That monster would've taken out the entire region if he'd gotten above ground."

"Good!" You felt the strength returning to your legs to the point where you could stand on your own. With some reluctance your protectors let go of your arms. "So we're in the desert now? Where are we headed?"

"We're headed to right here!" the Trailmon up front shouted. "Last stop for three hundred miles: Windy Oasis!"

"What's an oasis?" Neemon asked innocently.

"An unnecessary detour," Takuya replied. "Hey, Trailmon! How long until we leave for the next stop?"

"Ahhh, about two days or so."

"WHAT?!" Takuya started to run, probably to try to beat the Trailmon up, but he slipped on the smooth floor and fell right on his bum. "TWO DAYS?! WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO UNTIL THEN?!"

"What do I care? Just get out!" The Trailmon let out a deafening whistle and rattled its cars. "Take a vacation! Go see the sights! Enjoy the festival!"

"Festival?" Everyone but Takuya perked up. "There's a festival going on?"

"Yes! It's called the Desert Boat Race!" Bokomon announced as he read from his book. "It's three days of games and entertainment and then on the last day there's a race between the various owners of sand boats."

"Sand boats?" Izumi asked. "What are those?"

"An extra-light boat with a large sail made to travel across sand."

"It sounds kinda like windsurfing," you commented. "Except on sand."

"Exactly," said Trailmon. "So for the last two days of the celebrations I'm going to be staying right here."

"Argh!" Takuya groaned, grabbing his head. "But I need to get to the factory!"

Kouji squeezed the bridge of his nose as if he were getting a headache. "Well, we'll just have to make the best of it, Takuya. Now stop acting like you're three years old and suck it up."

Takuya made a face at his rival but everyone ignored him. Your group wandered off into the town situated around the big isolated oasis. It was designed for hot weather - the buildings were pale tents and the walkways between them were also covered to protect the inhabitants from the brutal sun. And the desert breezes blew across the tranquil waters and brought cooler air into the cloth tunnels.

"Oh, it feels so much nicer in here!" you cried, throwing your arms up into the air. All around you monsters pushed and chattered, ignoring you and your relief. "So what do we go see first?"

"Ally-san, do you smell that?!" Tomoki gasped.

"Hm?" You sniffed at the air and got a whiff of what must have gotten him excited. Your stomach suddenly roared. "I SMELL CANDY!"

"It's over here!" Tomoki shouted. You both ran around a corner and dodged between two large groups of monsters before coming to a sliding stop in front of a stall stacked with treats.

It practically seemed to glitter as you drooled over it. "Oh, my god, it looks so good!"

Tomoki was also drooling. "I know! Do you have any money?"

That let the air out of your happy bubble. "Aww. I forgot about money."

"Don't encourage her to run off, Tomoki!" The others had caught up to you already, not that you had gone very far, and Takuya looked upset again.

"Oh, lighten up, Takuya!" Izumi scolded. "If we're here for a couple of days we may as well have fun!"

"Hey, check that out!" Junpei joined you and Tomoki in admiring the piles of candy at the stall. "Oh man, that looks so good!"

"I know," you and Tomoki answered. "Do you have any money?"

Junpei looked dismayed. "Oh, beans. Bokomon, do you have any money?"

"Afraid not. If you want some candy you'll have to work for it."

"Awwwww!"

"Hey, humans!" the stall owner, a big yellow bear, said. "If you're interested in some of my candy, maybe you should join the boat race. The grand prize is a whole bag of my delicious candy!"

"Huh? We can enter the race too?"

"Sure! They're accepting entries right up until the start of the race. But you need to build your own boat to enter." Then he leaned over the counter and looked around suspiciously. "Though," he continued in a quieter voice, "you may not want to bother. The same team wins every year. No one can even come close."

That caught Takuya's attention. "Really? Why?"

"Rumor has it that the winning team possesses a magic box that allows them to win without fail," the merchant whispered. "Unless it can be gotten away from them there isn't much point to racing against them."

"That sounds like a good challenge to me!"

"Takuya, no! How could we build a boat in one day?!" Izumi snapped.

"Oh, come on! We can do it!"

"I mean there's a chance we can…" Junpei muttered. "It's not impossible, but it'll be tough."

"Just be sure to build it big enough for seven. Each team needs seven members to compete."

After more encouragement from Takuya you all agreed to participate. After all, you had the required number of people and at least Junpei had an idea of how to build a boat to run across sand. But that wasn't Takuya's only idea; he felt that to have a decent chance at winning your group needed to find out what sort of magic box you were up against. You and Izumi would go spying while the boys worked on the boat.

It wasn't hard to find the team in question: there was a whole complex of tents dedicated to the boat racers and theirs was the biggest and most crowded. The two of you walked around, presumably admiring all the different designs, and slowly you made your way closer to your target.

"Ooooh!" The beautiful boat awed you and you both stood admiring it. "So that's a sand boat!"

"It's so big!" Izumi replied.

"It has to be big!" said a squeaky voice. "It needs to carry seven of us!"

You looked down and were mildly surprised to see a knee-high pink bird addressing the two of you. Around one wing was wrapped an orange band with a red letter 'H' on it. "Oh! Hi there."

"Oh, look at how cute it is!" Izumi squealed. "Are you on this team, little birdie?"

"Who are you calling a little birdie?!" demanded a red penguin as it came waddling over. It had the same sort of armband around its stubby wing. "And what are you doing here anyway?!"

"Say, you two are humans, aren't you?" said the pink bird thoughtfully. "I've never seen humans before. Have you, Muchomon?"

"Of course not! There haven't been humans in this world for many years, remember, Biyomon?!" Muchomon stared the two of you down with a fierce stink-eye. "Why would humans be here now?!"

"Well, the short version of the story is that I got in the wrong elevator," you quipped.

"And what's your problem with humans?!" Izumi demanded. "It's not like humans ever did anything to you if you've never met any!"

"Oh, Muchomon has a problem with everybody!" Biyomon chirped. "It's nothing against you personally."

"Humph!" grunted Muchomon.

"Hey, now, what's all the fuss over here?" A third Digimon, who looked like a preteen dressed in a dark blue witch costume, ambled over to join your group's conversation. "Come on, you two. Practice is soon and you know how Sunflomon gets if we show up late."

"Ah! You're right, Wizardmon!" Biyomon took to the air and flapped towards the far side of the tent. Muchomon waddled in that same direction muttering to himself and shoving smaller creatures aside.

At the same time Izumi elbowed you in the side, however she put a little too much into it and made you double over in pain. But you had already seen the reason why she felt it necessary to try to puncture one of your lungs. A thick leather strap slung across Wizardmon's chest suspended a dark wooden box underneath one of his arms. And also piquing your interest, though Izumi probably wasn't aware of it, was the hint of a voice coming from the box. The voice was faint and muted, just like Grumblemon's had been from outside the mine, but you could discern enough of it to tell that it wasn't another case like SkullMeramon.

Realizing that she had hit you too hard, Izumi tried to stall. "Oh, what a beautiful wooden box! Where did you get it?"

Interestingly Wizardmon became very nervous in response to the question. He put a hand on the box protectively and glanced around at the milling crowd. "I - I don't quite recall. The team has owned it for years. It's like our mascot."

"But it's so pretty! Can't I please hold it, just for a sec?"

"I'm sorry, but I really can't -"

"What's inside it?" you asked abruptly.

Both Izumi and Wizardmon looked surprised by your demanding tone and could only stare blankly for a bit. Then the look in Wizardmon's eyes changed. "So you hear it too?" he whispered.

You honestly thought that he was just about to hand it over when suddenly he pulled his cloak shut and stepped back. "I'm sorry, but it's too dangerous to show you." And before either of you could react he turned and vanished into the crowd.

You and Izumi shared a look of surprise at the turn the conversation had taken, and that was when you saw a shadow a short distance behind you abruptly move to one side. Instinctively your head snapped around to track it but the ominous figure was already gone. It was just a crowd of happy and relatively harmless-looking monsters behind you.

"Did you see something?" she asked.

"Uh huh."

"What was it?"

"I don't know."

"That's not a very reassuring answer."

"Well, it's all I got." For the first time you sensed a cold feeling of being exposed in the crowd. "Let's go find the others. We're being watched."

"Okay." Izumi sounded about as anxious as you felt.

The two of you retreated and after some careful searching you found the rest of the group. They had somehow scrounged enough parts to make a decent sand-boat (or so you assumed) and already had a frame assembled. Junpei was in his element, giving orders on what went where and Takuya nearly tackled you and Izumi in his eagerness to hear about the so-called "magic box". Unfortunately you didn't have much to tell him - you hadn't learned much and you weren't able to put your notion of foreboding into words adequately. He was irritated but luckily the construction was a good distraction for you all.

Before you knew it the boat was finished and it was the night before the race. And after a quick pep talk from your team leader you all found soft places on the ground to curl up for a night of sleep.

However just as you were drifting off, curled on your side with your back resting against Junpei's for extra warmth, you had that feeling again of being watched. Your eyes popped open but you didn't move - instead you waited for whatever lurked in the shadows to give away its position. Minutes ticked by and you were starting to doze when a sudden snore from Takuya's direction made one of the darker shadows jump and dart away. Instantly you were awake again and you scrambled to your feet to follow. You glanced back at the others when it occurred to you to take some backup along, but they were all sleeping so peacefully it would be a crime to wake anyone. So you ducked out of the room and into the covered hall where you paused and listened. At first it was only the sound of the night breezes. Then you heard a stealthy footstep.

Dramon appeared with a burst of light. "Over there!"

She pointed to another nearby room in the maze of tents but as the two of you stepped towards it the shadowy figure revealed itself from the depths of the night. You recognized it immediately by its pointy hat. "Wizardmon?"

He met your eyes and you saw regret in his before he hid them with a sigh. "Sorry about this."

You heard more footsteps run up behind you and caught a glimpse of more shadows until your vision was cut off by a large sack that was tossed over your head and you were lifted off your feet. You lashed out with a kick to try and defend yourself and were satisfied when you made contact and heard a muffled cry of pain but your captor quickly slung you over his shoulder where you couldn't do more harm.

'Should've brought backup,' you thought as your attackers all started to run.


	31. Chapter 31: Racing the Breeze

Chapter 31: Racing the Breeze

~Kouichi POV~

Something woke me just after dawn. At first I wasn't sure what it was - everyone was still asleep and everything was still and calm. The tent was dark and I could see my friends all lying around, though all I could make out were darker lumps on the padded ground.

Then it happened again; my D-Tector flashed and beeped three times. I pulled it out to inspect the screen and surprisingly Loweemon was staring back at me. It was only for an instant though and then he vanished and the screen flashed red and beeped repeatedly. I heard what sounded like an echo from outside our room and I got up to investigate. The others started to stir, complaining about the noise my device was emitting but I was more intent on finding the source of the other noise. But I did take note of when Junpei called out for Ally.

~Your POV~

You hadn't slept a wink after your abduction. The Digimon that had kidnapped you had rushed you off around random turns for what felt like an hour until you finally sensed that you had arrived at their destination. You were tossed down onto something hard and padded and the cloth sack was pulled off your head.

In front of you stood a large greenish lizard in garb that reminded you of something Native Americans would wear. And it was also wearing several sets of rather large knives with an air that it knew how to use them. It glowered down at you, resting one hand lightly on the handle of a knife at its waist.

It looked like you were sitting in a sand-boat. And it was a familiar sand-boat too. It was the one belonging to the winning team! On cue, a few of the familiar faces appeared beside the green lizard, who you just noticed was wearing an orange armband.

"Oh dear," Biyomon said. "Are you all right, human? Dinohumon, you shouldn't be so rough!"

"Whatever." The lizard turned and stalked off. "All yours, boss."

Into view came a humanoid Digimon dressed in what you could hardly believe was a pirate costume, hat and hook hand and all. It studied you carefully and then pointed a large musket-like gun at you. "Well now, human. I understand that you can hear the voice in the box like Wizardmon. And since he wanted off the team… that means you're taking his place."

"Oh yeah?" you said, reaching for your D-Tector. "I'll be the judge of that."

~Junpei POV~

"Hey, Ally?" I wasn't happy to be woken up by all the racket Kouichi's D-Tector was making and I was even less happy to wake up with a cold back because Ally wasn't curled up against it anymore. She was going to get such a noogie when I found her.

I half-expected her to be crouched nearby, waiting for me to wake up and notice she was gone, wearing that Cheshire Cat grin of hers like she always did when she was pulling a prank. But I didn't see her anywhere in sight, though that didn't worry me much. She was probably off taking care of her business or something.

But no sooner did that occur to me than Kouichi returned from out in the hall at an alarming run. "Junpei!" he said urgently. "Have you seen Ally?!"

"Uh, no…" Now I was starting to worry. "Why? What's the matter?"

"Her D-Tector was outside and I don't see her anywhere."

"What?" I gasped. But the device he showed me was unmistakably Ally's. "Oh man. This is really bad."

"Yeah," Izumi added, "she doesn't seem like the type to leave her stuff lying around."

"She's not. She knows how important it is so she would've left it with one of us if she had to leave it behind at all."

"Then we have to go find her," Izumi decided. "She can't defend herself. Something bad could happen to her."

~Your POV~

"… Uh oh." Your pockets were all empty and it just about stopped your heart.

"Am I supposed to be intimidated?" The Digimon with the musket lifted it a bit higher.

"Um, I'm going to retract my threat now," you said sheepishly. "So, what were you saying?"

"Heh." To your relief the Digimon stopped pointing the gun at you, though he didn't exactly put it away. "First with introductions. I am Hookmon, the leader of Team Hook and this is me hearty crew. And now you're part of it too."

"Okay." You could imagine what his reaction would be if you refused. "So what do I do?"

"Nothing too difficult, human," said Biyomon. "You'll sit behind the sail, and when we give you the signal you open the box so we can win."

"I could do that."

"And you will." Hookmon waved his hook at you. "Now stay down while we push the boat to the starting line. If it looks like you're trying to escape you'll regret it."

"Okie dokie." You ducked down as Biyomon and a quiet yellow catepillar-like Digimon joined you for the ride after throwing a blanket over your head. "Hey!"

"Just stay silent, human. Hookmon will probably let you go after the race," Biyomon whispered. "If you do a good job and we win he'll go out drinking and forget about you."

"Biyomon!" you heard Muchomon snap. "Get back here and help us push already!"

After a few minutes of travel you heard a massive crowd milling around the boat chattering excitedly, but you stayed still like you had been told. Then the rest of your new team climbed in and started moving around. You figured, judging by Hookmon's shouting, that they were getting ready for the race.

It felt like no time before an announcer called out the lineup of boats and yelled for everyone to start the race. The boat you were on took off so fast that you were knocked over, even while seated, and you struggled to untangle yourself from the blanket. After that though the race seemed largely uneventful - you overheard Hookmon grumbling that they might not even need the box this year.

But then a high-pitched voice called from far above your head, "Enemy boat approaching off the port stern, Captain!"

You snuck a peek and saw Hookmon looking into a spyglass off the left side of the ship. "Arr, it's a boat full of humans! And that scurvy coward, Wizardmon! How are they going so fast?!"

Suddenly he pulled the box out from under his coat and stared suspiciously at it before flinging it in your direction. "Tell me if that's the real box, girl, and be quick about it!"

You put your ear to the wood and even over the rushing wind you could hear the muttering voice. "I hear it," you replied. "It's real."

"Then how -" Realization struck Hookmon just then. "That bilge-rat! He's been practicing wind spells!"

He was so furious, you feared for you life briefly when he pointed his musket at you. But to your relief that wasn't what he wanted from you. "Open the box!" he snapped.

You had some trouble at first - it felt like it was sealed shut - but a solid smack to the hinges caused it to pop open. Out roared a huge gust of wind that toppled you over again and the sail billowed as the boat shot forward with new life.

Over Hookmon's pleased laughter you heard a distinctly female voice speak up. "You know, this whole situation is getting very old."

You glanced inside the box, which was still swirling with wild winds, and took note of the spirit you had suspected was inside all along. The soul standing on the deck facing away from you was a dead ringer for it: pink with large gossamer butterfly wings and long purple hair. She noticed you right away, probably because you were the only one actually looking at her, and knelt down to be at your level on the wildly bumping ship.

"Hi there! What's your name?"

"I'm Ally." Your eyes were again drawn to her wings. "I really like your wings."

"Grazie!" That compliment really got her to smile and she offered you a hand up. "I'm Kazemon, the Spirit of Wind. How about we get off this pirate boat?"

Her hand looked fairly solid so you tried to take it but yours still went right through. "I can't," you admitted, getting to your feet on your own. "These lugs kidnapped me and I lost my D-Tector in the scuffle. Right now I'm just human."

"I don't think that'll last long." You followed where she was pointing and saw that your friends' boat was running alongside Hookmon's. Your Digimon captain was in an uproar and waving his musket about again, trying to intimidate your friends the way he had you. But Beetlemon and Loweemon weren't backing down.

You ran to the side of the sand-boat so that there was only a two-foot gap between you and Tomoki on the other side. And you nearly wept with joy when you saw your D-Tector in his hand.

"Ally-san!" he called. "Here!"

You caught the D-Tector as he tossed it in your direction and held it high in the air. "Thanks, Tomoki!"

"Let's show them what the wind can really do!" Kazemon added.

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon! ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Kazedramon!"

~Tomoki POV~

With a burst of light Ally-san took a new Digimon form - I guess the box had held Kazemon's spirit - and she stretched four long wings. Izumi-san squealed happily when she saw Kazedramon and she held up her D-Tector like Ally-san had. "Pass me the spirit, Ally!"

"No! It's ours!" The other Digimon were distracting Loweemon and Beetlemon so the one that looked like a pirate could aim his gun at Izumi-san.

"Watch out, Izumi-san!" I shouted.

She gasped but before the Digimon could fire, Kazedramon rushed over and kicked the gun out of his hand. Then she jerked forward and head-butted the pirate Digimon. He went down but Kazedramon reeled back holding her head in pain. Apparently she wasn't really armored well enough to use her head in battle.

Suddenly the green lizard Digimon that had been threatening Loweemon with several giant knives turned and rushed Kazedramon. But she saw him coming and leapt into the air with ease.

"Finish line ho!"

Everyone froze at the announcement and we all craned our necks to look ahead. Sure enough we were coming up on the crowds and flags signaling the end of the race. I had been so distracted by the fighting I had forgotten we were in a race.

"DESTROY THAT SHIP!" the pirate Digimon shouted.

At the same time Kazedramon stirred up a burst of wind and flung it at us. " **Brezza Petalo!** " The wind filled our sail and pushed against the hull of the boat, rocketing us forward with a bounce. Everyone, including me, fell over from the turbulence.

"NO!" The other Digimon already sounded far away and I managed to catch a glimpse of the other sand-boat veering off-course. I didn't see Ally-san anywhere but I hoped she was safely away.

I got my answer once we were across the finish line. She came fluttering down out of the sky while everyone was celebrating, looking tired but otherwise fine.

"Woo," she said after de-digivolving, "those wings take a LOT of energy."

"Now that you're safe, I think it's time Wizardmon answered for what he did," Izumi-san said sternly.

"Yeah!" we all agreed.

"I'm sorry, humans," Wizardmon muttered. "Had there been any other way to get off Hookmon's team I wouldn't have betrayed your ability to him."

"Like we're supposed to believe that!" Junpei-san shouted.

"I can believe it," Ally-san said quietly. "It wasn't exactly a picnic on that boat. And I imagine Hookmon wouldn't be willing to let his crew go off and do their own thing if they wanted to quit."

"Exactly right. And again, I'm sorry. But if you let me go I'll get on a Trailmon and go far away and not make any more trouble for anyone."

"And why should we trust you?" Kouji-san demanded.

"Oh, let him go," Ally-san said. "He didn't do any real harm -"

"Aside from nearly giving us all heart-attacks," I heard Junpei-san mutter.

"- and I'm sure he wants to be gone before Hookmon gets back from the middle of the desert. He was pretty mad when I left him."

"I bet he was."

In the end we let Wizardmon go and Ally-san and I snuck away from the others to go claim the candy prize from Monzaemon. And of course we ate some before we snuck back. It was just in time as Takuya-oniichan started ranting about how we had to hurry to catch our own Trailmon to finally reach the factory and get Agunimon's spirit.


	32. Chapter 32: Sewers and Forests

Chapter 32: Sewers and Forests

"Okay kids, we're here!" Trailmon announced as he rolled to a stop in a dark looming station. "Giro Factory, home to some of the most advanced mechanical Digimon in the Digital World. So all you little chatterboxes get off here."

"Finally!" Takuya shouted. "I thought we'd never get here!"

"Hey! You try running across the world's biggest desert carrying a bunch of screaming monkeys and see how long it takes you!"

"Oh, uh…" Takuya rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as you all piled out to look around. "Sorry, that wasn't what I meant to say."

"Yeah, yeah." Trailmon yawned hugely and seemed to sag onto the tracks more. "Just beat it so I can get some sleep."

"Maybe we could make it up to him," you said thoughtfully. "We could give him a ba-mmph!"

Junpei, Tomoki, and Izumi all grabbed you and covered your mouth tightly so that you couldn't get out that final magical word as they hauled you out of Trailmon's hearing. The other boys followed looking somewhat baffled.

"What are you doing?! Don't volunteer us to wash Trailmon like that!" Junpei grumbled in your ear.

With a kick you managed to wrestle his hand away from your mouth. "I was just trying to be nice!"

"There's such a thing as being too nice!"

"No, there's not!"

"Yes, there is!"

"Okay, knock it off!" Takuya barked. He leapt in and separated you from the others, which at first flattered you until he leaned in close and asked, "So, do you hear Agunimon's spirit yet?"

"Don't you ever give it a rest?" you sighed.

"C'mon you must hear something!"

"All I hear is you shouting in my ear, Takky!"

"Then listen harder!"

"Hey! What's all the racket down here?!" Suddenly a bunch of creatures made up of three gears dropped down from the ceiling and surrounded your group. Their middle gear was large and black and had their eyes and mouth on it while the side gears were gold and just looked like an approximation of arms or wheels. "You're going to wake Giromon!"

"Yeah, and we just got him to put down the chainsaw and go to sleep!"

You didn't quite believe your ears. "Did you say chainsaw?"

Then, disturbingly close and loud, you heard a chainsaw roar to life and a high-pitched cackle. "So much corrupted data… Gotta cut it out… before it spreads… Gotta…"

With a shower of sparks the blade of a chainsaw ripped through the wall to your left, cutting out a portion of the metal which was then blasted apart. Through the hole shot a tiny blue Digimon with big horns and long arms. And a giant chainsaw.

"GOTTA SLICE IT ALL UP!" it screamed and charged at you with clear madness in its eyes.

You, your friends, and the gear Digimon all screamed and went pelting off in the opposite direction as a chainsaw sliced through the space you had just been occupying. Back in the station Trailmon was gone and the gears all went sailing off in different directions. But it was the seven of you that Giromon focused on and aimed for.

"TAKUYA, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" you bellowed as everyone ran for a tunnel on the other side of the tracks.

"Get in line!" Izumi replied.

You paused momentarily when you heard metal being cut and when you looked back you saw that Giromon had buried the tip of the chainsaw into the steel platform and was riding it like a unicycle. It was giggling with lunatic amusement.

"Come on, Ally!" Kouichi grabbed your arm and pulled you into the tunnel after him. "We've gotta keep moving or he'll get us!"

You all kept running through the tunnels, making random turns in an attempt to lose Giromon. But whenever the maniac lost your trail it would just hack through the walls until it came across you again.

Right about the time you felt your legs would fall off you rounded another turn and suddenly felt a bunch of arms grab you and pull you into a hidden grate in the corner.

"Don't move," said a strange voice.

You obeyed and stayed pressed against the cold steel wall, perfectly still and perfectly silent. Giromon rushed past without even sparing a glance at the quiet corner where you were.

"Cut up the data! Cut it all up! Ahahahahaha!"

After a minute of silence you felt it was safe again. "He's still after my friends! We've gotta - Are you all giant piles of poo?"

"How rude!" said one of the yellow piles. "We're Sukamon!"

"Ri-i-i-i-i-i-ight. Well, I gotta go save my friends. Thanks for the help, mister poo!"

They all grabbed onto you again and held you back. "Wait, human! We need your help!"

"But my friends -!"

"Don't worry, human. Andromon will show up soon and put a stop to Giromon's rampage. But there's no one else to help us, so please come."

"Well, okay…"

They led you down a slight incline and into increasing darkness and stench. You had the feeling that you knew what sort of place they were leading you into.

"Oh, god!" you gasped. You rushed to cover your nose with your shirt as the strongest wave of smell yet washed over you. "This place stinks!"

"What are you talking about?" asked one of the Sukamon. "This place is paradise! It's perfectly dark and dank and stagnant!"

"Ugh." As your eyes adjusted to the gloom you started to make out huge shapes swinging through the enormous sewer pipe. "Hey. Those look like… roots."

"That's because they are." One of the Sukamon hopped over to the nearest root and tugged at it angrily. "That's what we need your help for. These roots are gumming up the sewer and making life intolerable! There's hardly any water anymore so we all keep drying out! And the knots make it nearly impossible to move around!"

"We need you to do something," said a big green pile of slime with eyeballs. "Cut the roots or burn them or something!"

"Thank god there's no flow. That would've ruined my awesome shoes forever." You looked all around at the hanging roots and the vines clinging to the cables and bolts. "Actually these all seem to come from a single source. They all look the same."

"Impossible," said the green blob. "They all showed up in the space of a single day. They couldn't all be from a single plant."

"Well, who knows? But if it's really what you want I'll go look for where they're coming from and I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, human. We'd be eternally grateful." The Digimon hopped off down the tunnel arguing about something or other and you started in the other direction.

It was gloomy but not totally dark in the massive tunnel so you moved slowly. You resisted the urge to trail a hand along the wall for balance - if this was a sewer then the walls were probably covered in an unpleasant substance that you didn't want on your skin. Occasionally you stumbled over or slipped on a root and your foot would splash down into a cold puddle of who-knew-what. You also heard scurrying feet and tiny voices, probably some kind of rat Digimon.

"Now, where," you mumbled, looking all around, "could these roots be coming from? It doesn't look like they're coming from the surface… and anyway it's a factory over us, not a forest."

You walked on and found that the roots were getting thicker, a sure sign that you were nearing their source. There was also more light except that it had to filter through extra-thick snarled roots to reach your eyes by now. At last you came to where the roots, all tangled together, had emerged from a doorway, filling it completely, and torn a series of tiny holes at the top of the pipe to escape. Some light squeezed in around them, enough for you to see that there was the most minuscule gap in the roots clogging the doorway. It looked just big enough to let you pass. It gave you a little trepidation to think of crawling into a mystery hole but the reek of sewage was starting to drive you insane. You were willing to risk it if it got you away from the smell.

Once through you had to just stop for a minute to take in the sight before you.

Roots coiled everywhere like a frozen cyclone of snakes. In places they had begun to peel away the steel plating of the room in their quest for sustenance and the gnarled joints glowed with an eerie light. In the very center of the swirl of plant limbs was the apparent source - a tiny, tiny tree sprout not even knee-high. It was so innocuous. Nothing more than a green-shrouded stick poking up from the steel.

"Awwww!" you cooed. "Look at how cute it is! Are you the source of all this trouble, lil sprout?"

You moved up beside it and gave the thick roots an affectionate pat. "This is an awfully strange place for you. I think your pinecone got lost on the way to the forest."

"Human!" You wheeled around and saw a whole stream of the Sukamon and the green blobs pouring through the hole you had used to get in. "So this is the source of all the roots! We'll take care of it!"

"Kill the tree!" shouted one of the Sukamon.

"Yeah, kill the tree!" roared all the green blobs. As one giant growling mass they surged towards you and the defenseless sprout.

"No!" You leapt to put yourself between the slimy Digimon and the tree. "You all leave it be! It has as much right to live down here if it wants!"

"No, it doesn't!" snapped one of the green blobs making its equivalent of a fist. "These sewers have always been ours!"

"You said it, Numemon!" The Sukamon all jumped in place and swung their arms threateningly. "It should go back to the light! The shadows are ours!"

"Yeah!" "Yeah!" "Yeah!"

"Tear it up!"

"Throw it back into the light!"

They were getting themselves all worked up again. Your hand drifted closer to your D-Tector. "Listen, I know the tree is a problem for you all but killing it isn't the answer! It grew all on its own down here so it belongs just like all of you!"

You unclipped your D-Tector from your waistband and showed it to the unruly mob. "This D-Tector has some amazing abilities. Maybe I can use it to move the tree up to the surface so you all can have your sewer back."

The monsters exchanged looks and angry grumbles but the simmering violence receded. "You have five minutes, human," said the biggest of the Numemon. It glared at you with its googly eyes, trying to be intimidating but it just came across as comical.

"Just what I needed: pressure," you mumbled. You turned back to the sprout, sparing a quick glance at your D-Tector. "Boy, I hope this works."

You aimed your device at the tiny sapling and nervously pushed a button, hoping for a miracle. There was a frenzy of flashing light and shrill beeping from your D-Tector, so abrupt and unexpected that you nearly dropped it. The nodules in the roots glowed brighter, causing the sewer Digimon to cringe back and whimper, and the damp air resounded with the rustles and crackling of moving roots.

The tiny trunk sucked up the massive roots like spaghetti - how it possibly could was beyond your comprehension - and it started to float above the pitted and puddled floor. The limbs all withdrew into the plant turning it into a glowing humming ball of light. You caught a glimpse of something rounded and new in the center of the orb.

Then an armored humanoid soul appeared directly in front of you, yawning and stretching its mechanical arms. "Aahhh! Now that was a good nap, right!"

"Hey!" you yelped. "You're a spirit! Aren't you?"

The mechanical man was very tall and he leaned over you with an air of mild amusement. "That's me all right. Name's Arbormon, Legendary Warrior of Wood. Who are you, pint-size?"

"I'm Ally. I've inherited Dramon's Spirit of Souls."

"Get outta here! A little pipsqueak like you got the eleventh spirit?"

"Hey! You know, you're being really rude for someone who was just saved from being buried in poo-Digimon!"

"Ah, I'm just teasing ya, right," he laughed. "You an' Dramon need to lighten up a bit!"

"Be serious, Arbormon." Dramon and the three souls that didn't belong to any of your friends appeared with a burst of light. "While you've been sleeping something has been warping the fabric of the Digital World. The situation is critical."

"Hey," he said, pointing a finger at your spirit. "I never said I couldn't be serious, right? I just needed to hear what was going on."

"That's good to hear." Dramon motioned for you to take over. "Grab his spirit, Ally, and let's get out of this sewer. The next ally is some distance away and I sense that time grows short."

They vanished and as you turned back to Arbormon to scan his spirit he cleared his throat to make you pause. "Hey, kid. I didn't mean nothin' before when I called ya a pipsqueak. I was just teasin', right?"

You smiled at him reassuringly. "It's okay, Arbormon. I could tell."

"That's good, right! Cuz, ya know, anybody who got respect for trees is okay by me!"


	33. Chapter 33: The Blob

Chapter 33: The Blob

As the light cast by Arbormon and his spirit faded away, you glanced at the tiny screen of your D-Tector and saw a symbol. The elements were some of the few Japanese symbols you knew by heart and this particular one would translate as 'tree'. Made sense.

"Hooray!" The sewer Digimon all cheered as they saw that the pipes were cleared of the annoying roots. "The human did it! The sewer is ours again!"

"Glad to help! Now don't go trying to kill any more trees, okay? Give peace a chance."

Suddenly there was a deep overpowering rumble that shook the metal of the room so hard that some of the rivets popped out of the steel. There was a collective gasp from the Numemon and Sukamon before they all ran screaming back to the main sewer. You could only stand and gape upwards in shock.

From the seams and holes over your head oozed a viscous greenish-black substance, bubbling and writhing like a disgusting living creature. Its tentacles searched back and forth blindly until it seemed to home in on you and it surged with new purpose. You backed away as the goop dropped to the floor and gathered together, radiating malevolence.

"Oh, beans." This was very bad. You could tell that without a doubt.

Another great flash of light and the souls of your five spirits burst into being around you, all of them tense for battle.

"So, our enemy reveals itself at last," Mercurymon growled. He lifted one of his shields and positioned himself defensively in front of you. "Prepare yourself, girl. We'll finish it here."

"Um… okay…" you said hesitantly. You held up your D-Tector and prepared to evolve.

"How laughable," wheezed the goo in a thick soggy voice. "That you believe you can stand against me is pure naiveté on your part. I'll destroy you without even materializing fully into this plane."

"Mercurymon, we have a problem," Dramon muttered. "I can't reach out to the others."

"I'm well aware," the Warrior of Steel replied. "I've had no luck either. What of the rest of you?"

They all responded in the negative and your stomach churned even harder as a laugh emanated from the grotesque shapeless form. "I'm going to deal with this child and you spirits without any inconvenient interruptions Resistance is futile."

"We need to retreat," Dramon declared. "He's too strong for us to handle right now. We won't be any sort of match for him."

"Retreat where, sugah? In case y'all hadn't noticed we're trapped in a room in a sewer beneath a factory!"

"Yeah, and that big lug is blockin' the exit with his behind, right?"

"And me no good at digging through steel, Dramon."

"And I've grown weary of traveling with humans. I say we finish it now and send the hairless monkeys back to their own world."

"Excuse you, Mercurymon!" It was hard to not be offended whenever he 'opened' his 'mouth'.

"Good, use that anger in the fight, girl."

"I swear, somehow, someday, I will punch you."

"Don't, Ally!" Dramon shouted at you. "You're going to get yourself killed! Then nothing will be able to save the world!"

"It's like the others said, Dramon: we don't have a choice. And I don't have to win on my own. Maybe I can get that thing to move away from the tunnel entrance just enough to get through. Then we could call for the others."

Your spirit sighed. "I guess this isn't the sort of fight we can easily run from."

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon!"

You charged the hideous blob, which by now had swelled to fill a third of the space. "Hey, ugly!" you roared. "I think it's time for you to get lost! **Spirit Flame!** "

The golden flames were in a frenzy like you had never seen before as they struck the substance. They actually seemed malicious as they raced across the surface and dug into the areas that you guessed were weaker. The talking blob quivered and howled with agony under the onslaught. Then from the corner of your eye you saw a crescent of darkness appear behind it. The exit was uncovered.

You well remembered Dramon's warning so you ceased your assault on the enemy and sprinted straight for the tiny opening. The second you were out you were going to head directly to the main floor of the factory, find your friends, and then together you would obliterate this talking ball of spit!

It almost worked, up until the horror seized you by the throat and slammed you into the floor hard enough to leave a dent. It was so violent that for a brief period you couldn't collect your thoughts enough to even move. A deadly lapse as the beast shook off your flames like they were nothing and proceeded to rain blows down on you with great amusement.

~?~

It was only reluctantly that I stopped my impressive attack on the transformed human girl. After all, she deserved it for daring to stand against me. And to actively try to wound me, even just a fragment of myself that I had extruded into this world for the sole purpose of wiping her out of it - oh, it was infuriating! I punched her pathetic Digimon form once more to release some of my anger. The rest I would work off in due time.

But not quite yet. I wasn't ready to fully manifest into this world to begin the real destruction. It was only the alarming rate at which she was locating the spirits that had spurred me to end her. Each was a weapon unto itself, but more importantly each was a fragment of something greater.

Suddenly a disgusting wave of light caught my eye and drew me from my thoughts. It was the human masquerading as a Digimon - her energy had run out and she had reverted to her true, tiny, frail form. Pathetic. Even more annoying was what the light represented: it was the legacy of my eternal foe, the Creator Dragon. Its influence was running rampant all through this world. And it needed to be stamped out.

"Well, girl. The one benefit of you having gathered so many of the spirits is that it now makes my resurrection that much easier."

I deliberately manipulated my energy to bring forth the girl's spirits to take. They hovered above her prone body, shedding that abhorrent light and humming faintly. If I hadn't needed them so badly I would never have gone near them.

But just before I could claim them I was forced back with a hiss. Five souls, one for each of the spirits, had appeared before the girl. Protecting her from me.

"We're not letting you lay one finger on Ally!" Dramon declared, baring her teeth at me.

"If you try, me hammer-smash you good!"

"I concur with my fellows. Much as the child irks me beyond description this world needs her."

"Yo, Mercurymon, howzabout I rough 'im up some to get the message across?"

"Ooh! What fun! Count me in, sugah!"

"You are all fools!" I bellowed in frustration. Damn that wretched girl! Her influence had already made the spirits too strong for me to simply take. To touch them now could mean my own destruction…

"Hah! Sounds to me like someone is afraid of five disembodied spirits and an unconscious human," Mercurymon laughed.

His taunt stirred my true anger but a brilliant idea struck me before I could act rashly. "You spirits have not seen the last of me. I will return and take you all from those pitiful humans to fulfill your real purpose in this world. And to be sure that I succeed next time, I'll start by wiping this one out!"

I used the last of the energy I had channeled into this plane of existence to aim a destructive blast at the largest pipe clinging to the far wall. It started to shatter and liquid sprayed out. Whether it was water or sewage didn't matter to me - with my strength used up I lost my physical footing. But the outcome was foregone - the pipe would shatter, the entire sewer system would flood, and the human would drown. And with her gone, the spirits would lose power and be ripe for the picking when I returned to rip this world apart at the seams.

The thought so tickled me that I couldn't help but laugh and laugh as I vanished and the sewer filled up with a roar.

~Takuya POV~

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU DON'T KNOW?!" I swear, all of these monsters were deliberately toying with my head! "It's a simple question: is there a spirit here or not?!"

"And I told you, human, I don't know what you're talking about!" Andromon's sixth response was the same as his first, though probably much more irritated. But I was way more irritated that he was!

"Come on! You've gotta know!"

Suddenly Giromon rushed forward and his chainsaw burst to life. "He said he doesn't know, human! Want me to cut you up?!"

"Settle down, Giromon. If not, I'll be forced to reload you again."

The maniacal Digimon sagged and his weapon spluttered to a stop. "You're no fun, Andromon."

"Are you sure you haven't seen anything strange in the factory?" Izumi asked as she pushed me to one side. "Like energy surges or machines acting strangely?"

"I told you, no. I monitor all the activity in the factory and everything has been within normal parameters."

She sighed and gave me a shrug. "Face it, Takuya. There's nothing going on in this factory."

"Argh! I can't believe we came all this way for nothing!"

"And we nearly got cut to ribbons too!" Junpei yelled.

"Speaking of which," Tomoki began hesitantly, "has anyone seen Ally-san lately?"


	34. Chapter 34: By the Moon's Light

Chapter 34: By the Moon's Light

You were having an odd dream. A tall person with the face of a fox had saved you from a giant talking loogie. It had brought you someplace calm and quiet though you were having some difficulty breathing. Then it set you down and leaned in close.

"You'll be safe from him here. But finish locating the rest of the human and beast spirits. Only with them all together will you have the strength to defeat your enemy."

Then the fox-person was gone and you were left all alone, except for a faint voice calling from the end of a long dark tunnel. You followed it, diving headfirst into the light and suddenly -

You jerked awake with a cough and the very first thing you saw was all of your spirits gathered around you, looking down at you with concern.

"Ally!" cried Dramon. "Thank goodness you're awake! Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I think so," you answered, rubbing your head. "What on earth happened?"

"It seems our enemy was indeed too strong for us to challenge alone," Mercurymon admitted.

"That's putting it lightly!" Dramon snapped. "You nearly got Ally killed and the rest of us stolen! I hope you're satisfied now!"

"You'd do well to watch the tone you take with me, Dramon!"

Your spirit growled and clenched a fist, looking like she was about to punch Mercurymon in his 'face' and leave a giant dent behind. At the same time, Mercurymon wasn't about to just let her smack him without any resistance. He lifted one of his shields and frowned with concentration.

"Hey, hey," you said, scrambling uncertainly to your feet. "Everyone settle down. We're all okay and there's - why is the ground pink?"

It wasn't just the dusty pink dirt under your sneakers that you had noticed; the scruffy grass growing from it was a deep reddish color as was the thick forest springing up off in the distance. The sky was weird too - even though the sun was out the sky was dark and the stars were shining clear overhead. And the Digiworld was -

Your jaw dropped. "There's - how's - WHAT?!"

"Told you she notice world in sky," Grumblemon commented.

"How is THAT in the SKY?!" you shrieked. "And if it's up there, then where the hell are we?!"

"It's okay, Ally! We're on one of the moons!" Dramon explained, motioning for you to calm yourself.

"We were brought here by an expert in teleportation," Mercurymon informed you. "Luckily. Otherwise you'd be at the bottom of a river of sewage right now."

"But human children still in danger," Grumblemon said.

"We need to get back down to the surface, sugah. That big brute isn't going to leave your friends alone while we hold a garden party up here."

"Yeah, so how we s'posed to get back, kid?" asked Arbormon.

"Wait a minute," Dramon said, holding up a hand.

You had barely heard anything that the souls had been saying. You were on the freaking moon! The planet was up in the sky! Shock was the least of what you were feeling.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" you shrieked, running in circles with panic. "What the hell is this?! How did I get on the damn moon?!"

You ran and screamed until your breath ran out and you had to stop, bent over with your hands on your knees, panting rapidly. The exertion had worn you out and pushed the panic back but you weren't even close to being calm.

"Better?" Dramon asked.

"Not really," you gasped. "But I can deal."

"You'll have to," Dramon said. "We can't afford to be stuck here any longer than necessary."

"Then how do I get off of here?" you asked. "I mean, we didn't get here in a rocket or nothing. And I doubt any of you could survive out in space. Even if you could, it's not like we could swim there from here."

"That's a problem you're going to have to solve on your own," Mercurymon sniffed. "After all, you're the solid one."

"Don't give me that!" you snapped. "I've never been farther off the ground than a roller coaster before! How the frak am I supposed to get all the way to another planet?!"

Suddenly Mercurymon slapped you from out of nowhere and snapped your neck sharply to one side. It stopped your outburst cold and you went wide-eyed with pure surprise, as did all the other souls. For a second everything was silent except for the gentle rustling of the trees.

"Uh oh," said Grumblemon.

But you amazed them all by not trying to leap onto the Steel Warrior and beat him to splinters. You didn't even get upset. You just rubbed the side of your face, which had flushed from the impact, trying to ease the sting. "Well, thanks for that. I think."

"Anytime." He needed to work on the smug tone in his voice. "In fact I found it entirely enjoyable."

"Okay, Mercurymon. Dial it back a little." Dramon didn't seem any more happy at his pleasure than you felt. "We need her conscious to get us all off this rock."

"True. Very well, girl, get started."

You threw your arms up in exasperation. "We just went over this! I don't know how to get off the freakin' moon!"

All of a sudden there were slow pounding footsteps behind you and you nearly jumped a mile. Wheeling around, you saw what you first thought were four moving tree trunks; then your brain pieced it together and you understood that you were looking at something's legs. You tilted your chin back, eyes headed towards the darkened sky and up the long neck of the beast that had come up behind you. When you finally got to its head, crunching away happily in the treetops high in the air, you were struck dumb. It was like you had been dropped into one of those disaster movies.

"That's a dinosaur," you whimpered numbly. You pointed a trembling finger in the dinosaur's direction. "And it's eating leaves…"

Then the sight and sound faded out and you hit the ground in a faint.

~Junpei POV~

"Okay, seriously you guys, something is wrong," I said again, louder so they couldn't ignore me this time. "We've searched the whole factory and she's not anywhere."

"Maybe she ran off again," Kouji muttered.

"No way," Kouichi and I replied at the same time.

"Maybe I cut her up!" Giromon shouted as he waved his smoke-belching chainsaw in the air. "Was she big and flat and gray?!"

"That was the floor, you dunce," said one of the Hagurumon.

"Yeah, you dunce," added another.

"Oh, yeah…"

"I last saw her when we were running," Kouichi mused. "We were running down the hall and then all of a sudden she wasn't there anymore."

"But I didn't see any other passages," Izumi said.

"Because there weren't," said Andromon. "The path you humans took had no branches."

"Then where could she have gotten to?" asked Tomoki.

"I don't know, humans. But wherever she is, it's not in this factory."

"Then I suppose we should head back to the Forest Terminal," stated Bokomon. "The angels may be able to tell us what's happened to Ally.-han"

"No," I said, "I don't think we should go back so far."

"It's the best chance we have of finding her," the little Digimon argued. "We could spend years searching the world for her without luck. But the angel Digimon would be able to find her easily and direct us on where to go."

"But if Ally really is somewhere around here," I countered, "and she sees we're not around, she might think we've abandoned her."

"And what would she know about that?" Kouji grumbled.

"Hey!" I barked. "Listen Kouji, I now the two of you got off on the wrong foot but I'm telling you she's not a bad person!"

"It's true, brother." Boy, I was glad to have Kouichi on my side. "She saved us when we were up against SkullMeramon even though she could've run away if she had wanted to."

"Hmph."

"Listen, you two," Izumi interrupted. "If you mean what you said then we ought to take this seriously and go back. The angels will know where we can find her before something happens to her."

I grumbled but I had to admit that she had a point. We had to find Ally fast, not only to make sure she was safe, but also to locate the rest of the spirits. And I guess if Ophanimon and all could help with that then it was the best option. Reluctantly I agreed to the plan, the whole time feeling that we were making a mistake.


	35. Chapter 35: Dude! Triassic Park!

Chapter 35: Dude! Triassic Park!

You clamped your legs to hold onto your dinosaur mount as it reared up and let out a bellow. "Woo!" you shouted at the same time. "This is the best day of my whole life!"

You had come to terms with being on the moon - one of the moons - and had even started to enjoy it somewhat. The red plant life was unnerving you still but the lower gravity was completely awesome. You could jump like a grasshopper now! And when you flapped your arms as fast as you could, you were almost able to hover. The discovery nearly blew your mind.

And then you had found a dinosaur-mon whose back was within jumping distance. You couldn't resist.

It had been a little upset at first but had eventually settled down and let you keep riding - just to enjoy the view, you informed him. And he seemed to be enjoying the company.

"Hey, kid! You don't hafta shout it right in my ear!"

"Sorry, Ankylomon," you said bashfully. "I'm just excited. I've never ridden a dinosaur before."

"Well, most dinosaurs have never been ridden before," he chuckled. "But I know none of them would like having their ears shouted in."

"Sorry…"

"Hey, sugah," Ranamon said, appearing seated behind you on Ankylomon's back. "Don't forget that y'all gotta get back to the Digital World and save it from that ugly monster."

"Yes, Ally," added Dramon as she appeared behind Ranamon. "Fun is nice but you've seen what we're up against. Every minute counts now."

"Right," you said. "Ankylomon, I need to ask you something."

"Does it have anything to do with what your friends are talking about?"

"Wait, you can hear them?!" The other souls appeared on Ankylomon's back, watching with great interest.

"Yeah. This moon is a very spiritual place. Almost all the Digimon here can sense the spirits around them. I happen to be able to hear them."

"That's very interesting," Dramon said thoughtfully. "I had the feeling there was something special about this place."

"It's a very special place! This moon is the original paradise, created long ago by the Sky Dragon. Some say that all the Digimon down on the world's surface originally came from this moon."

"How could they have gone all that way?" you asked. Maybe that would solve your problem.

That was quickly shot down. "Ah, no one knows how they made it down there. Although…" he hummed, "there's a chance that MasterTyrannomon would know. He's the guardian of our legends and the data wellspring and knows more than anyone else."

"Can you take us to him? It's really important that I get back down there as soon as possible."

"Not a problem, little human. It'll take a few hours though. The master lives far out int he wilderness."

"Then we should get moving," said Dramon.

"No problem!" Ankylomon took off at a run, though with his massive size he still couldn't move very fast.

You traveled for about two hours and then you all came across another of the dinosaurs that you had first seen when you woke up. It was even bigger than Ankylomon with a long neck and tail and gray scaly skin. You were reminded of a brachiosaur, like the ones in the movie 'Jurassic Park'. But it took no notice of your group; its head was buried in the top of a super tall tree munching away contentedly.

Suddenly something fell down from the treetop and bounced off the ground. It looked like a piece of fruit.

"Hey, Ankylomon," you said. "Are you hungry? I could use a quick snack."

"Actually, yeah. I could go for a bite."

"Head over to that big fella. I'll ask him to help us grab some fruit to eat."

Ankylomon did so but the other dinosaur paid you all no mind, completely focused on his meal. More fruit rained down and splattered against the rosy ground all around you.

"Um," you said, standing up on Ankylomon's head. "Excuse me! Hey up there!"

"Humm?" The long-necked dinosaur pulled his head out of the mess of leaves and looked down at you, still chewing calmly. "Eh? Is that you, Ankylomon?"

"Yeah, Brachiomon! Me and a human with some spirits!"

"Really? A human?" He leaned down so he was nose-to-nose with you and blinked placidly. "Well! You're a funny-looking creature."

"So are you," you replied immediately.

He busted out laughing. "Fair enough! So, did you need something, little human?"

"Yes! Could you perhaps give me a lift up to get some of that fruit up there?" You pointed towards the spot in the tree where Brachiomon had been eating. "We're on our way to see MasterTyrannomon and could use a snack."

"It'd be my pleasure, human." You climbed onto his snout and held on tight as he swung his head back up to the treetop. You could tell what branches he had been eating from: they were stripped and broken off from the tree trunk. But there were still many other branches left intact and hanging heavy with ripe fruit.

"A bit closer, please." When he got you within reach you pulled off as many as you could see and then asked him to lower you back down.

"How many did you get, human?" Ankylomon asked as he lowered you to the ground.

"I think ten," you answered. "But I only need three so you can have the rest." You climbed out of his paw leaving the fruit for him behind and grabbed a piece of ground to sit and eat. "Oh, Brachiomon, do you need any?"

"No thanks, child. I could reach my own, if I wanted. But I'm more fond of leaves. They have such a wonderful crunch to them." With a hungry hum he lifted his head again and buried it into the tree to continue eating.

~Izumi POV~

Luckily we found a Mole Trailmon that was going straight from the factory to the Forest Terminal. Even better, he was willing to give us a ride there. We all climbed on board and took off back through the desert.

It was so boring. Nothing but sand and sun to the horizon. I couldn't even tell how fast we were going because there was nothing passing by the windows. Then I saw dusty bumps on the horizon all in a row and realized that it was a chain of mountains like the one we had walked through originally. Then the Trailmon track curved a little and I could see where we were heading.

"Hey, guys," I said nonchalantly. "It looks like we're going to go through a tunnel in a few minutes."

There was no reaction from the others. They all looked very preoccupied, probably all worrying about Ally. I was worried too, which would explain why it felt like time was crawling by. It felt like an eternity until we finally reached the tunnel entrance.

With a flash and a roar the world outside the windows went black and the dim lights in the train car blinked on. Suddenly in the center of the aisle appeared a person. Or so I thought at first, but when I looked closer I saw that they had a fox's head, feet, and tail. The Digimon just stared flatly at me until everyone else realized it was there.

"Hey!" Takuya shouted. He and the others leapt to their feet but the fox-person held up a placating hand.

"Be calm, children. I am Taomon and I mean you no harm." It folded its arms again but otherwise remained as still as a statue. "I only wish to let you know that your friend is safe."

"You know where she is?!" Kouichi yelled.

"I do."

"Where is she?! You gotta take us to her!" Junpei chimed in.

"Alas, I cannot. I sent her away for her own protection."

"Protection? From what?" Tomoki asked.

"A terrible abomination from beyond this dimension. It has no name and no one has ever seen its true form, but it represents the opposite of everything in this world. Just like all of you it's come seeking the spirits." The fox Digimon shuddered delicately and sighed with resignation. "Your friend and her spirits are its primary target."

"It's after Ally and you took her away and left her on her own?!" Junpei bellowed.

"She is in the one place that the beast cannot reach. It was the best I could do for the moment."

"And why can't you take us to her?!"

"Because you children must remain here on the Digital World and continue collecting the spirits. The evil must not be allowed to get to them first or it will warp them for its own dark purposes. And your friend must remain safely on the moon for now. Her purpose is to strengthen the souls that she has already claimed. They grow stronger by the day and are already beyond the reach of evil - it is their human medium that exposes them to danger now."

"I guess we will, if it's really the only way to help," I said doubtfully. "Though I still think it'd be better if we all stuck together."

"Unfortunately this is not such a case. To bring her back would attract the beast's attention and slow you down. And taking you all to her would leave the remaining spirits defenseless."

"Can't you just take one of us to her?" Tomoki asked.

It was simple but brilliant - why hadn't I thought of that? "Great idea, Tomoki! I'll go to keep her company."

But Taomon was already shaking her head. "Your friend is safe and you are all needed here. I know it's difficult to accept but what needs to be done can only be accomplished while she's on her own."

"Woo-woo!" Mole's shout made us all jump and I became aware that we were fast approaching a bright light - the end of the tunnel. And I also had the feeling that Taomon would vanish just like she had appeared once we were out.

"Keep seeking out the spirits," she commanded, raising a hand to make a mystical sign. "And with luck, when your friend returns she will bring with her the miracle that this world desperately needs."

Then we were outside and she was gone.


	36. Chapter 36: The Dragon of Creation

Chapter 36: The Dragon of Creation

"All right, here we are: The Tyranno Temple."

It was an awe-inspiring sight. Surrounded by a crimson forest, the temple rose out of the ground like an ancient ziggurat. Even more unnerving, the structure was made entirely out of bones - long bones, ribs, vertebrae, and several skulls of different sizes. It looked more like an altar of evil than a temple of good.

'It's not really that scary,' you thought smugly. However thirty minutes later when the two of you were finally drawing close enough to get an idea of its true size, you silently amended that maybe it was scary after all.

After passing through a torii made of two legbones stuck in the ground and an entire length of tail vertebrae laying atop them, the two of you were standing in a barren courtyard of red soil. All around you dinosaur Digimon were sitting or standing with their eyes closed - meditating? They didn't stir as Ankylomon stomped past, heading for the "door": the eye socket of a sharp-toothed skull half buried in the wall of bones.

"Huh," Ankylomon commented as he ducked (but only slightly) to get through the opening. "That's odd. Normally there's some guards hangin' around to stop commoners from just walking in like this."

"That's because you are not commoners!" Out from the shadows of the temple walked a black and white Tyrannosaurus Rex the same size as Ankylomon. He stepped into a spotlight cast by the eye sockets of a skull at the very peak of the temple roof. You were struck by how similar he looked to the red tyrannosaurs that had been out front meditating. But unlike them his face was wrinkled and grizzled and his remaining eye shone with wisdom and compassion. There was only a scar where the other had once been, so he had clearly walked a harder path of life at one time.

"Well, okay," he continued after a dramatic pause, "you're a commoner, big fellow. But the young woman is not. Her arrival here was preordained by the Creator Dragon's emissary. I've been waiting my whole life for this day." He bowed to you, dropping to one knee so that his nose nearly touched the ground. "It is an honor to meet you, inheritor of the great dragon's spirits. I am MasterTyrannomon."

"U-Um, thanks," you stammered. You bowed awkwardly back to him - your perch on Ankylomon's head was right about at eye level for the master. "I'm glad that my arrival is such good news."

"It's more than that. Through you the soul of the Creator Dragon will return to this world to stop the Destruction Dragon from tearing it down."

"What are you talking about, Master?" Ankylomon asked in bewilderment.

"Ankylomon!" he scolded. "Didn't you pay attention in school?! Everyone learns the tale of the Creator Dragon on their first day!"

"I wonder if that was what I slept through…" Ankylomon mumbled quietly. "But I don't remember it anyway."

"Luckily for you," MasterTyrannomon growled, "I needed to tell the human the story anyway. So pay attention this time!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Now, girl, listen. I will tell you the story of the very beginning of the Digital World.

"Back in the time before there were any Digimon here, the Digital World was just a big ball of dust with nothing more exciting than mud puddles on its surface. There were no trees, no oceans, and no wind.

"But then from the high heavens descended a massive shining dragon onto the lifeless landscape. Its great wings stirred up the dirt into the air but nothing could dull its bright gleam. Much later this celestial monster came to be known as AncientDrakemon.

"AncientDrakemon looked around at the empty world and felt lonely. So she sighed deeply into it spreading data far and wide. And then with a gentle touch of her great horn she gave the spark of life to the data and the first primordial Digimon were born.

"So AncientDrakemon now had company but she had used up the last of her strength to create life. But before she faded away she split herself into eleven pieces, scattered them all over the world, and slept. Ten of those pieces grew into the kingdoms of the Digital World and influenced the Digimon that lived within them allowing them to grow and change their form. The eleventh was thought to have vanished forever, for though the Digimon searched for it all across the world they saw no trace of it.

"That was because the last piece had become the first moon - the red one upon which we now stand - and had brought about the evolution of dinosaur Digimon separately from all the rest. It was the ancient dinosaurs who found the greatest wellspring, but when they touched it, an energy like nothing seen before was released. The force of it even reached the Digital World itself and it caused the initial split between human and beast type Digimon everywhere.

"After its great burst of power the final spring returned to sleep, and to protect it the old dinosaurs built this temple atop it. From then on the leader of the dinosaurs took it upon himself to keep the legend of the Creator Dragon alive. I am the eleventh in the line of such leaders and I had the feeling that I would be meeting the spirit's inheritor."

"And that's me?" you asked.

"Yes. Surely someone told you that your spirit of Dramon is the human manifestation of AncientDrakemon? And her fire is a weaker version of AncientDrakemon's creating abilities."

You vaguely remembered hearing something like that come out of Bokomon's mouth but the memory felt like it was years old. "Hm, it sounds familiar but I don't know any details."

"Bah!" he scoffed. "The storytellers on the Digiworld's surface need to polish their skills if they can't even convey our origin story properly!"

That particular opinion was one you wouldn't be passing on to Bokomon. He seemed to take his "fountain of knowledge" role very seriously.

"Anyway," you said before he could launch into another story. "You mentioned a Destruction Dragon before. What is it? What does it want?"

With a heavy sigh, MasterTyrannomon turned away so his face was in shadow. "The Destruction Dragon is a mystery. No one knows where it's from or what its true form is. But a prophecy handed down by the Creator Dragon herself foretold its coming with absolute certainty. As for what it wants…"

His one eye held you spellbound as his next words echoed around the temple. "What it wants is simple. It wants only to destroy everything that the Creator Dragon made. The world, the moons, and all the Digimon in existence."

"Then I need to hurry and get back to the world's surface!" you said urgently. "I've seen the Destruction Dragon up close - kind of - and it's started to come after the spirits actively instead of sending warped monsters to fight us."

"That is very bad news indeed. Much as I respect the Creator Dragon, I'd hoped her prediction would be wrong."

"Is there anything we can do, Master?" Ankylomon asked.

"We must assist the human however we can." With renewed energy, MasterTyrannomon began to pace back and forth across the temple floor. "So tell us how you came to the moon so we can get you back."

"Uh, well, I don't really know."

"Then that's how we'll - what?!" MasterTyrannomon interrupted his pacing to stare at you in disbelief. "You don't know?!"

"No," you said in a small voice. "Ankylomon said that you would know how to get me back."

"Might. I said 'might know'."

"Unfortunately, human, I have no idea how to get to the world's surface. Dinosaur Digimon have always existed only on the moon." MasterTyrannomon started to pace again, thoughtfully stroking his muzzle with his long claws.

"But I can't just stay here!" you shouted and stamped your feet on Ankylomon's head. "My friends and the world are counting on me! I"m not going to sit around twiddling my thumbs!"

"Well, there is a chance…" the black dinosaur began to ponder. "The Creator Dragon's emissary at the heart of the moon's data wellspring may be able to help you. It's really meant for you, after all. I'll show you the way."

Apparently the room you all had been in wasn't even the main part of the temple. MasterTyrannomon led your group through another doorway and into an even bigger space lit by a glowing fountain of pixels. It sizzled and hummed with life and it felt like every atom in your body was vibrating in response to its presence. And all around the fountain were red dinosaur Digimon that reminded you of MasterTyrannomon. They were meditating in a huge circle, their claws gently linked.

"Behold the Fountain of the Soul of the Creator Dragon!" the master announced. He took a knee and bowed with the utmost respect to the data geyser, as did you and Ankylomon. "Here resides the source of all digivolution since the dawn of Digimon."

As if in response to his words, the data surged and energy burst forth from the hole in the ground. The plume was so powerful that it reached almost all the way to the top of the bone temple, which seemed to be a mile above you. Within the vertical stream of energy appeared a small form that you instantly recognized as a spirit. It looked like a metallic dragon, which wasn't surprising given that it was presumably a spirit of the Creator Dragon. You wondered which spirit this was - maybe Agunimon? Would Takuya finally get his spirit and shut up?! You were filled with hope.

Then the soul appeared and your mind was filled only with awe.

It was massive, dwarfing the inner space of the temple. It was a green, two-legged, two-winged monster with cyborg parts bolted to its shining scales. Its armor was gold that looked almost orange in the reddish light but the bladed edges of its wings and claws were a deeper hue. From the sides of its head sprouted two curved horns and a stubby spike studded its helmeted head on the end of a long armored neck. Then it leaned down toward you and its ghostly tail swept through the other Digimon with no effect.

"You have finally come." From between its armored jaws long fangs flashed at you in the dim light.

"The Dragon's emissary!" MasterTyrannomon threw himself onto all fours and Ankylomon did the same a second later. Unfortunately the sudden motion threw you off his head and sent you tumbling into the dirt.

With a flash of light Dramon appeared kneeling by your side. "Be careful, Ankylomon! You could've hurt Ally!"

"It's all right, Dramon," you said as you rose and rubbed your backside. "The gravity is so low I could probably fall from the roof and be fine."

"Sorry, human." Then he blinked and grunted with surprise. "Hey! Now I can see yer friends!"

The other souls had appeared ranged around you, though they seemed more interested in the new spirit than in your well-being.

"At last we've found Wyvernmon," Mercurymon sighed. "You certainly led us on a long, merry chase."

"You talk as if you weren't aware of where I was the entire time," Wyvernmon quipped, tilting its - her? - head to give the steel warrior a look that was unmistakably the stinkeye. "If you polished your acting as much as you do your face then I might've believed you were actually upset with me."

Giggles burst from you in an energetic explosion though you quickly clapped your hands over your mouth when Mercurymon glared at you fiercely. It seemed the enormous new spirit had a lightning-quick wit.

"Enough!" he snapped. "Scan the spirit, girl, and let's be off. We're in a hurry in case you'd forgotten."

"I didn't forget!" you cried. "Wyvernmon, can you transport us back down to the surface? My friends are in danger."

"No, I can't."

You paused as your brain completely rejected the sentence blurb it had just processed. "Um, 'scuse me, what?"

"I do not possess the ability to travel across the space between here and the Digital World," she clarified. "Otherwise you would not have had to come here to get me."

A bare second passed while you tried to control the sudden deluge of emotions that rose up in your. And failed.

"THEN WHAT THE FARK ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?!" you shrieked. "DON'T DIGIMON EVER HAVE TO GET OFF THIS MOON?! HOW DO THEY DO IT?!"

You fell forward, tucking your head into the crook of one of your arms and pounding the soil with your free hand while you kept shouting. In retrospect you couldn't remember exactly what you said, but undoubtedly it revolved around there being no way off the stupid moon.

Finally Wyvernmon's voice broke through your distress. "Calm down, human, and scan my spirit. There is a way back down. It has been in your possession this entire time."

"Oh, Wyvernmon. You could have let her panic just a little while longer."

"Oh, Mercurymon," Dramon sighed, "you would be the key to getting back without telling us."

"No one asked me if I could."

"YOU KNEW HOW TO GET BACK THIS ENTIRE TIME AND YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING?!"

"Again, no one asked me. But anyway we couldn't leave until you obtained your beast spirit."

There was that term again, the one you didn't quite understand. "Hey, you guys keep talking about human Digimon and beast Digimon. What do you mean by 'human' and 'beast'?"

"It's simple, Ally." Dramon waved her claws to indicate the circle of souls standing by her sides. "Human Digimon are like us: humanoid in form and generally in size."

"Whereas beast Digimon," MasterTyrannomon chimed in with a rumble, "are like Ankylomon and myself. We would never be mistaken for humans like you and the other Digidestined."

"That's very true," you mumbled.

"The split was brought about by my previous form," Wyvernmon stated. "The form I had when Dramon and I were still fused."

"It allowed Digimon everywhere to evolve farther than ever before. Though it was also partly responsible for causing the great war between the human and beast types," Dramon continued.

"Which gave rise to Lucemon, which gave rise to us Legendary Warriors," Mercurymon added. "And like all other Digimon we have a human form and a beast form. Dramon is your human spirit and Wyvernmon is your beast spirit."

"Oh," you said. "So you're my second spirit."

"Yes. Now scan me and Mercurymon shall have the power to get you back."

"Okay," you said doubtfully. Somehow you weren't sure if you believed the two of them could do it but anything was worth a try. You took out your D-Tector and aimed it into the depths of Wyvernmon's image where the spirit was hovering. It was drawn into the device with a whoosh and you felt a rush of energy that supercharged your every cell.

"Now!" Mercurymon ordered. "Evolve and shift to Dramon's metal form so that you can use my teleportation abilities. With Wyvermon's strength we'll be able to reach the world's surface."

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon! ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Mercurydramon!"

With only the briefest of glances down at your newest (and extremely shiny) form you concentrated and reached out blindly, feeling for something familiar down on the world's surface. Suddenly you felt something warm and inviting and jumped to transport yourself but at the last second you lost your hold. It was too late to stop the jump though and with a shout of "goodbye" you vanished into one of the mirrors on your arms.


	37. Chapter 37: The Virus Is Loose

Chapter 37: The Virus Is Loose

~Junpei POV~

"I don't know, you guys. No matter what Taomon says I think we should go to Ally. She's gotta be freaking out if she's all by herself in this crazy world."

"I agree. She's never been here before. She won't be used to all the strangeness."

"Maybe so," Kouji grumbled. "But you heard Taomon. Ally's on the moon. How're we supposed to get there?"

"Last time," Kouichi said thoughtfully, "we were blasted to the moon by Dynasmon."

"Well, we certainly don't want that to happen again!" Bokomon insisted. "Or did you forget that everyone had the fractal code knocked out of them?"

"I didn't forget! I'm just saying that's how it happened before."

I grunted with impatience. "Well, we gotta get there somehow!"

"What about another Trailmon?" Tomoki asked just as we went over a bump in the tracks. "Could Mole or another Trailmon take us to the moon? Do tracks go straight to them?"

"I'm afraid not," Bokomon said. "Certainly some tracks go very high but none reach all the way up. Besides, we don't know which of the moons she's on.

"And I think you're all overreacting a bit. Taomon said that the spirits would bring her back when they gained enough strength. And until then she'll be safe wherever she is. We should focus on gathering the rest of the spirits like we were told."

~Your POV~

Sunlight and colors blurred together in your vision as you re-emerged from the strange mirror-world that you had teleported through. Then in a split second you became aware of the pull of gravity and managed to get your feet under yourself so you could land with some dignity. You stumbled briefly but stayed on your feet.

As you straightened up you looked around at the location you had emerged into. It was an enormous field of metal stretching in all directions with massive skyscrapers rising up from it almost as if they had grown like living things. They were all highly reflective - this was definitely not a grungy industrial town.

Dramon's and Mercurymon's data peeled off of you as you stood gazing around at the shiny city. "I wonder where I should go now?"

~Junpei POV~

"Whoo-whoo!" I heard Mole trumpet. "This stop, Chip Forest! Fifteen minutes until we set out for Forest Terminal!"

"Ooh, Chip Forest! I've heard that they have a delightful field where you can pick your very own meat-apples for just a few digi-sheckles and they'll roast them for you."

I had to admit that Bokomon sure made it sound appetizing. A nice, tender meat-apple… Or two. Or twelve. My mouth started watering at the mere thought.

"I don't think I could eat anything…" Tomoki mumbled. "I'm so worried it feels like my stomach's full of butterflies."

"I am too," Izumi added. "I think I'll eat later."

The rest of our team echoed their opinions and since I didn't want to sound like an uncaring heel I did too. But my darn stomach gave me away, growling loudly and drowning out my words. The others laughed but I didn't think it was so funny.

"I guess we can always tell if you're lying by what your stomach says," Takuya snickered.

"Put a sock in it, Takky!" I snapped. "I just didn't want you guys to think that I cared more about eating than about Ally!"

"Oh, Junpei. We would never think that about you." Izumi's sweet, understanding tone made my heart flutter. She was such an angel! "You're probably the most worried of all of us."

I thought I saw Kouichi frown just after Izumi said that, but when I looked at him his expression was almost blank. But before I could comment on it, Bokomon spoke up again.

"I appreciate that everyone is worried for Ally-han but we still need to take care of our basic needs."

"My tummy's so empty it feels like there's a hole in my middle," Neemon said sadly as he rubbed his abdomen.

"Well then, come on, pants-for-brains," Bokomon growled, grabbing Neemon by the waistband and pulling him out the door. "We'll at least fill our stomachs even if these crazy humans don't want to."

"Oh, goody!"

"Maybe you should go with them, Junpei," Izumi suggested.

"At least so we can hear ourselves think for the rest of the trip," Takuya added.

"Ha ha, Takky." A scathing jab was on the tip of my tongue when suddenly my D-Tector started going off. And not just mine - the others' devices were being equally noisy and we all pulled them out to check why at the same time.

"It must be a spirit!" Takuya cried. "Agunimon!"

As he went tearing out of the car I sighed deeply. "Here we go again."

The rest of us followed, some more enthusiastic than others, since without us Takuya would probably be attacked or forget to come back and get left behind. But he wasn't the only one still waiting to find his spirit. Tomoki and Kouji were right on his heels, using their D-Tectors to scan the area, presumably trying to pinpoint the correct direction to head.

"We'd better find the spirit fast," I commented to Izumi. "Otherwise we'll miss the train to Forest Terminal."

"I think it's nearby. It seemed like a very strong signal."

"If only Ally was here," Kouichi said, mostly to himself, "she could point us in exactly the right direction."

Instantly my worry returned and I didn't really feel like talking anymore. If Ally had been here it wouldn't have mattered if we missed the train or not.

We wandered all over the general area but the spirit wasn't forthcoming. Finally, when we heard Mole whistle and announce that he was leaving in exactly one minute, we had to give up and start heading back. The whole time Takuya was whining about how the spirit was just over the next hill - he could feel it! - but the majority of us were more interested in getting to Forest Terminal and possibly to Ally. And Izumi reminded us that even if we didn't find it the first time around once we were all together again we could return to claim it.

"Yeah, I guess," Takuya grumbled as we got close to the station. "But we need to find them ASAP. Taomon said so."

"Well, of course, but -"

Suddenly a sharp whistle ripped through the air and with a screech of metal the pink Trailmon lurched into motion. For a second none of us moved, but then we all took off running after it.

"Wait, Trailmon!" Bokomon cried, leaning out one of the windows to try to get Mole's attention. "You forgot your passengers! Waaaaaaaait!"

"We don't have time to wait! We Trailmon have a schedule to keep!"

"GRAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

The ground shook as an enormous metal monster burst forth with a roar and started tearing the place up. It slammed its massive limbs into the trees, sending them flying through the air, and with a backhand blow it ripped loose the tracks in front of Mole. The Trailmon couldn't stop in time and with a squeal he went tumbling into the shallow grooves carved into the ground. Bokomon and Neemon went flying out of the open train car door and landed in the dirt.

"Oh no!" Bokomon wailed. "It's MetalTyrannomon!"

The big cyborg-monster turned slightly to look at the two little Digimon at its feet; the unwanted attention prompted Bokomon to grab Neemon by the pants yet again and start sprinting towards us all. "Junpei-han! Kouichi-han! Izumi-han! SAVE US!"

"No problem!" Izumi yelled. "SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Kazemon!"

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Beetlemon!"

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Loweemon!"

"Hurry, guys!" Izumi shouted at us as she flew at MetalTyrannomon. The monster seemed to have lost interest in the two little Digimon and was drawing back to stab Mole with its claws.

"Yes, please hurry!" Mole screeched. He cringed in anticipation of the blow and spun his wheels helplessly in the air. "Hurry!"

I knew I wasn't going to make it in time and for a second my heart was in my throat with fear. But then Kouichi appeared in a burst of shadows and with an upward thrust of his lance he blocked the metallic claws. The time it took for the monster to realize what had happened and start to attack with its other paw was just enough for me to reach it and join the battle.

" **Lightning Topper!** " I roared as I slammed my horn into the side of MetalTyrannomon's head.

The blow made it stumble and topple over under the force of its shifting weight, causing the ground to shake like a mini-earthquake. The impact raised a cloud of dust into the air but even so I could see a shimmer race across its flank accompanied by the shriek of damaged data.

"Watch it, guys!" I called to the others. "This one has warped data!"

"Don't let him get you with his claws!" Loweemon added. "The warping is like an infection!"

As if to prove him correct, MetalTyrannomon stabbed its claws into the ground to heave itself to its feet and the area around them started to dissolve into digital chunks. The sight made me break out in a cold sweat under my armor. Could I have been affected when I struck him? I felt okay, but…

"Snap out of it, Beetlemon!" Kazemon yelled. She flew towards MetalTyrannomon and blasted him with wind. It slowed him down and deflected his head downward but he kept reaching for us with those claws.

"Woah!" I cried. I released a bolt of electricity in self-defense and the monster flinched and roared with pain. "That was close!"

"The others have gotten to safety," Loweemon informed us as he took a position on the ground between us. "Now we can deal with this without worrying about them."

~Tomoki POV~

We ran from the earthshaking booms and roars of the fight with Takuya-oniichan complaining loudly that it he had Agunimon's spirit the fight would be over already. Kouji-san meanwhile was telling him to shut up and save his breath for running.

We kept going deep into the surrounding forest, dodging wires hanging between the trees like vines and bush-like resistors sticking up out of exposed motherboard. Electricity was zapping along the metal lines and chipping away at the surrounding soil.

"I think the battle is affecting the whole forest," I said. "These circuits aren't acting normal."

"MetalTyrannomon's warping is invading the base data of the land," Bokomon squeaked. "If Kouichi-han and the others don't finish the battle quickly it will spread until the ground dissolves beneath us!"

"Then let's find that spirit our D-Tectors sensed!" Takuya-oniichan insisted. "They'll need our help to finish before permanent damage is done!"

At about the same time as he was saying that, we burst through a really thick layer of vegetation and came upon a moss-covered cave. It was like a narrow knife-wound in the earth, not even wide enough for me to slip down. But even as I noticed it was there, I felt a tremor and the slice of darkness widened just a bit.

Then my heart leaped into my throat as crusty ice crawled out of the hole and the shadows receded in the light of the spirit. We had found Kumamon!

"Takuya-nii! I'm going back to help the others!" I said as I claimed my warrior's spirit. "You guys stay here so you're safe!"

"Be careful, Tomoki!"

"I will!"

~Junpei POV~

With a shout I slammed my fists into the back of MetalTyrannomon's head as it was reaching threateningly for Kazemon. It shrieked and stumbled forward, missing her by inches.

"Thanks Beetlemon!" she called but I didn't have a chance to respond since MetalTyrannomon was now going after Loweemon.

"How is this thing so fast?!" I yelped as I flew to intercept its new attack. "It's not even slowing down!"

"I'll give you a hand with that! **Frozen Wind!** "

Snow-filled wind blasted through the forest and wrapped around MetalTyrannomon, causing ice to crystalize around its feet and lock them into place. It raged as it realized that it couldn't move anymore and it drew back to smash the constraints with its massive metal claws. But it literally froze with its arms outstretched as ice formed around its elbow joints.

It was the perfect opening. " **Golden Thunder!** " I struck MetalTyrannomon in its exposed and mostly organic midsection with my electrified fist and thunder burst wildly in all directions. MetalTyrannomon roared with pain and tumbled backwards, shattering the ice on its limbs with a series of sharp cracks. Its landing was like an earthquake and it knocked both Kumamon and Loweemon off their feet.

"Thanks for the help, Kumamon!" I called. "And, uh, sorry about that."

"No problem!" Kumamon and Loweemon jumped back to their feet and we all lined up to watch MetalTyrannomon as it struggled to get back up too. "How do we stop this thing?"

"It's fast for being so big," Loweemon growled, "and the machinery gives it amazing offensive and defensive abilities."

"Then targeting the flesh and blood body is probably the key to defeating it," Kazemon said. "Kumamon and I will slow it down so you guys can give it one good blast."

"That's my specialty!" Kumamon shouted. From his back he drew his special snowball gun and armed it for battle. "But we need to do it fast. MetalTyrannomon's warped data is tearing the forest apart!"

"Then let's give it all we've got, Beetlemon!" Loweemon said to me.

"Way ahead of you!" I concentrated and got my strength up for the final showdown and I could tell that Loweemon was doing the same. "Let's go!"

Kumamon and Kazemon charged MetalTyrannomon as it pushed itself up onto its clawed feet and roared in our direction.

" **Brezza Petalo!** "

" **Snow Bomber!** "

A swirling vortex of wind and snow engulfed the enormous metal-clad monster and through the stormy chaos I could see ice forming around its arms and legs again. It was swiping and scraping at the ice spreading across its skin and armor but the crystals were multiplying too rapidly thanks to Kazemon's wind. Its movements slowed as its mechanical joints solidified and locked up until it stilled completely.

I quickly picked out a prime target: the soft fleshy gut below the metal plating and cables spanning its shoulders and chest. The armor was already cracked from my earlier blow - another strong blast would break up the monster's data.

"Right there, Loweemon!"

"I see it!"

" **Golden Thunder!** "

" **Endlich Meteor!** "

Our massive blasts of power rocketed at MetalTyrannomon's torso and struck with a blinding burst. It roared with pain and its surface started to crack and break apart like thawing ice. Chunks began to peel off of its form and floated up and away, dissolving further and further until they vanished completely. I waited for MetalTyrannomon's fractal code to appear so I could scan it and purify the monster but when it still hadn't by the time only its frame was left I started to worry. Then with an odd sizzle and a crackle the last of the data pulled itself apart and disappeared into the sky.

We were all quiet for almost a full minute. "Ummmm…"

"I didn't see a fractal code. Did you guys?" Tomoki asked.

"There wasn't a digiegg either," Izumi added.

"And the damaged areas haven't changed," Kouichi observed. "Something's not right here."


	38. Chapter 38: Lessons Among the Leaves Pt1

Chapter 38: Lessons Among the Leaves Part 1

It took you a long time to figure out where you were. You explored the metallic city slowly, blinded half of the time by the sun shining off the glossy chrome of the skyscrapers. You were looking for local Digimon to talk to - if Mercurymon's teleportation abilities were worth anything maybe they had brought you close to a new spirit. But the place seemed deserted: it was just shiny buildings and Trailmon tracks as far as the eye could see.

Only when you took a closer look at what first appeared to be a blocky trash can did you meet a local. It was a blocky robot just a few feet tall with clawed arms, flashing lights, and an antenna on its head.

You had approached slowly but the thing looked like it was sleeping. A single yellow light on its chest blinked every few second but otherwise it was motionless.

"Uh, hello?"

The robot's reaction was immediate - it whirred to life as all its indicators flashed and its arms began to flail. "Danger! Danger!" it shrieked.

"Woah, hey! I'm not dangerous!" you yelped. "I'm just lost!"

"Don't mind him," Mercurymon commented in a bored tone. "Tinmon are prone to overreacting when addressed directly."

The robot's head suddenly started to spin and it began projecting a deafening siren. You winced and covered your ears as Mercurymon's image wavered and filled with static.

"Knock it off, Tinmon!" Dramon shouted as she appeared, also faint and distorted by static. "You're giving us all a migraine!"

"I got it!" you said, though it was doubtful the spirits heard you over the racket. "Hi-yah!"

You smacked Tinmon's chest with your palm and the siren instantly stopped. Its head also stopped rotating and it was reduced to twitching helplessly. "Da-da-da-da-"

"… Oopsies." You weren't sure what to do now - technology was definitely not your strength. "I think I broke it."

"Well done," Mercurymon said snidely. "Now if only that would work half so well on our true foe the world would be saved."

"Put a sock in it," you snapped. "Computers are not my thing!"

"Obviously."

"Luckily for us I can fix a variety of things," Dramon said. "Let me out and I'll take care of it."

After evolving and breathing a little of Dramon's **Spirit Flame** onto Tinmon it was restored and fully functioning again. At the same time other Tinmon had gathered, but they weren't flying off the handle like the first one. They simply waddled over and formed a circle around you, antennas spinning rapidly.

"Unusual energy signature detected," commented one. "Analyzing… Analyzing…"

"Form scan complete. Match found," intoned another. "Dramon, Legendary Warrior of Souls, Human Form. Attacks include **Spirit Flame** and **Spirit Claw**."

"Scans indicate other Legendary Warrior spirits also present. Wyvernmon, Beast Form of Souls; Mercurymon, Human Form of Steel; Ranamon, Human Form of Water; Grumblemon, Human Form of Earth; Arbormon, Human Form of Wood. Power level: significant. Threat level: zero."

They didn't seem to be readying an attack so you de-evolved and stood awkwardly in their midst. "Uh, hi," you said with a tentative wave.

"Change detected!" barked a Tinmon. "New energy signature and form detected!"

"Scanning… Match found. Subject is human. Power level: zero."

"Hey! Well, I've been called worse." You looked around, not sure which of the Tinmon to address. "Can one of you tell me where I am? I kinda got here in a weird way so I have no idea where I am."

"Information request acknowledged. Subject is currently located in Steeltown."

"Steeltown," you mused. Count on Mercurymon to bring you to a city of his specialty.

"Query initiated. Does subject know cause of tornadic weather patterns afflicting neighboring area known as 'Bean Forest'? End query."

"Sorry no. I just got here." Then it clicked in your head that unusual weather patterns could be exactly what you were looking for. "So, wait. Are tornadoes unusual for this region?"

"Historical records of Steeltown indicate that general weather patterns are calm and sunny with reduced humidity. Historical records of Bean Forest are unavailable for analysis."

You didn't doubt the 'sunny' part of that statement - the sky was cloudless overhead and light from the setting sun was reflecting off most of the buildings and right into your eyes. There probably weren't any Digimon with organic eyes capable of living here full-time. By comparison, Bean Forest sounded nicer. And possibly edible.

"Tornadoes sound like something I need to check out," you said thoughtfully.

"I'm really hoping you meant to add 'from a safe distance' to the end of that sentence," Mercurymon complained.

"Hah! Where's the fun in that?"

"Are you trying to get us all killed, human?!"

"Maybe I am! And learn my name tin-for-brains!"

Mercurymon huffed with irritation and disappeared in a flash of light to sulk inside your D-Tector, but Ranamon quickly took his place. "Nah, don't get your skirts all in a bunch, sugah," she drawled soothingly. "Mercurymon's just lookin' out for our safety in his own obnoxious way."

"Well, it's time he started using my name!" you spat. "I know all of your names and I use them! I don't go 'hey spirit, listen to what I say'!"

"She has a point, ya know," Arbormon commented as he appeared. "It's common courtesy, right?"

"EXACTLY!" you shouted, pointing triumphantly at Arbormon. "THANK YOU!"

Faintly Wyvernmon appeared overhead, dimming the force of the sun's reflected glare. "Mercurymon wouldn't know common courtesy if it walked up and introduced itself," she offered before vanishing again.

You snorted and began to snicker at the jab as Dramon appeared and rolled her eyes at you. "Must you always instigate him, Ally?"

"Hey, when he starts calling me by my actual name then I'll stop instigating him!" you said reasonably.

"I'm surrounded by juveniles," Dramon sighed and then all the spirits disappeared.

"So anyway," you babbled when you realized the Tinmon had been watching you the whole time, "I'll go check out those tornadoes in the forest. Maybe I can even put a stop to them for you."

"Statement is illogical. Subject appears to be suffering from temporary insanity," droned one of the Tinmon.

"And with that ringing endorsement, I am off!"

You ran out of the circle of robots and sprinted as fast as you could for the edge of the city. You weren't completely sure that you were going in the right direction but in the distance you could see what looked like beanstalks sticking up out of the mass of trees. That seemed as good a bet as any other.

You trotted across the field of metal eagerly, taking special notice of the point when the metal transitioned into organic dirt. It was crisscrossed by the thick roots of trees and smaller bean sprouts making footing treacherous at times. You clambered along what could only be called a path with exceptional generosity. Finally the scrappy trail widened and became a genuine dirt road that could be easily followed.

And as you emerged onto the wider road your five companion Human Spirits burst into existence and walked beside you. "So what's the plan, Ally?" Dramon inquired.

"Uh…" you hummed. "Walk around until something crazy happens? Like always."

"Aw, c'mon! Surely ya can do better than that, right?" Arbormon said.

"Don't call me Shirley," you joked as you ducked under a low-hanging branch. "And what did you have in mind?"

"Some training wouldn't be amiss," Dramon suggested. "You can build your fighting endurance by evolving and maintaining my form."

"And by Elemental Shifting between the rest of us you can get practice moving in our specialized forms," Arbormon added. "Like through the forests."

"And underground," said Grumblemon.

"Under the water," chirped Ranamon.

"And through other dimensions," Mercurymon sighed. "Which, much as I hate to admit it, is the power that you have the least experience with. So it should be the first you practice."

"Hrmm…" you grumbled. You were still rebellious enough to automatically resist any helpful suggestions that people (or Digimon) gave you, and the thought of obeying any sort of orders given to you by Mercurymon made your stomach churn. But (and again your gut lurched) you had to admit that his powers were super-useful and super-difficult to control.

"Ugh!" you sighed. "Well, as much as it nauseates me to say aloud, you're probably right. Your talents are no easy thing to master." As you walked you pulled out your D-Tector and tossed it thoughtfully in the air. And when you finally came to a decision you caught it in a tight grip.

"Let's get this freakshow under way!" you announced. "SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon!"

You flicked your claws and looked over at Mercurymon's soul with mixed feelings. "No time like the present, I suppose. ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Mercurydramon!"

 **{A/N: Hi all! I just wanted to take a second to thank everybody for reading! It's amazing how many people out there love Digimon just like I do! I also wanted to warn everybody that I only have a few more chapters ready to post. I'll keep working on the story but updates will slow down a lot. I also wanted to put in a shameless plug for my upcoming Digimon Adventure story "The Dark Digidestined". I'm still working on the details but I'll try to get a chapter up ASAP! :D}**


	39. Chapter 39: Lessons Among the Leaves Pt2

Chapter 39: Lessons Among the Leaves Part 2

Back on the moon you hadn't really taken the opportunity to study your Steel Spirit Form so you used the first couple of minutes to get acquainted with your various limbs and armor. You felt heavier than before, no surprise since you were mostly made of steel now, and everywhere you looked you saw shining green armor. Your dragonish tail, which you had in every elemental incarnation, was long and multi-jointed with serrations running down the spine. And attached to the backs of your arms were highly reflective comma-shaped shields; by holding one up you could get a look at your face and the wings protruding from your back. The wings looked exactly like your arm-shields. As for your face, it looked like metal hammered into the shape of a dragon's with just a few details painted on, like brows and pupils and a fanged mouth.

"Well, this is…" You paused, disconcerted by the sight of your painted mouth moving as you spoke. "… Interesting."

"I'll choose to take that as a compliment."

You jumped as Mercurymon's voice rang out from one of your shields where his face had appeared. Just when you thought that he couldn't possibly do anything to weird you out even more he went and did it.

"And you're just going to be sitting there judging me, aren't you?" you said as you leaned in close to the mirror that he had materialized in. Offhand you noticed that your faces synced up almost exactly in the reflective surface with you positioned so close.

"Well, someone has to make sure that you don't get us all killed," he replied smoothly. "And I'm best suited for the task when you're in my form."

"You are so infuriating."

"My sentiments exactly. Now let's get started with the training."

"Fine," you growled. Then you closed your eyes (kind of) and reached down inside yourself in search of the trigger to teleport. Last time you had felt drawn to something…

"Woah, hold it right there, girl!" Mercurymon commanded sternly. "You are nowhere near ready to try teleporting just yet!"

"But I already did it once before!"

"That was a fluke. You were flush with the energy Wyvernmon had stored up for so long and there was no other option to get off the moon. We had to risk the danger. As it stands, your first jump was hardly perfect. I attempted to direct you to land at the Forest Terminal but we came out wildly off-course."

"That sounds more like your problem than mine."

"Don't test me, girl. Start your practice with simpler trials."

"And what if I don't want to?"

"Then you leave me no choice." Suddenly your arm started to move like it had a mind of its own and your clawed hand wrapped around your throat.

Luckily it was well-armored so you didn't feel a thing but it was still very alarming to have a body part moving on its own. "Hey, you metal jerk!" you shouted, grabbing your arm with your other hand and trying to pull it away from your neck. "What's the big idea?!"

"The big idea is that I'm not about to let you endanger us spirits and the fate of the Digital World by pushing your luck too far!"

With strength that you wouldn't have thought possible Mercurymon pulled you to one side by your throat, nearly sending you toppling to the ground. You fought back with every ounce of energy you could muster but the rogue limb didn't budge even a millimeter. Then at last you stopped resisting and stayed perfectly motionless.

"Do you yield, human?"

A faint growl of frustration escaped you from whatever served as your mouth. But no matter how proud you were, you weren't one to continue resisting when it was clearly futile. So, therefore…

"Yes," you grunted. "I yield."

Mercurymon chuckled deeply. "I'm glad you see reason."

He released your neck and returned the arm to your control, at which point you considered rebelling again. However, you had learned a valuable lesson about resisting Mercurymon. You would have to go along with his ideas, at least until you discovered another way to assert your dominance.

"So what sort of practice do you suggest I try, Captain Bossy?"

"For now I think I'll have you cut your teeth by just moving around as Mercurydramon. Get a feel for how my body moves and behaves."

"Ew," you commented offhand. But you were focused on obeying, more out of curiosity than respect.

You took a few cautious steps, enough to determine that despite your increased weight your body was still very limber and your reflexes were still as fast as ever. Then you tried jumping to get a sense of your center of gravity - your wings made it higher than you were used to but your tail helped you balance.

"Very good, girl. Perhaps next I'll have you try -"

Without warning you launched yourself into a sprint, making Mercurymon interrupt whatever he had been about to say in order to shriek at you to halt. But you just ignored him, intent on completing the idea you had had. From your running start you leaped up into the lower branches of one of the large trees and grabbed onto it with your hooked claws. Then with a massive heave you pulled yourself up and tried to get your feet onto the branch's bark.

CRACK! You registered the loud noise as the branch broke under your weight and the two seconds of freefall before you found yourself with your face planted in the dirt.

"Brilliantly done," Mercurymon barked sarcastically.

"Shut. Up." Your words came out muffled by the dirt but it wasn't like he could miss your meaning.

"That was some landing, right?" Arbormon commented.

"I think she dent brain," Grumblemon said, poking at your head.

"Well, that's nothing new," you quipped. You pushed yourself up and attempted to brush the dirt from your armor but quit when the scrape of metal on metal made you wince. "And anyway, I was just trying to see how agile my Steel Form is. Which turns out to be 'not very'."

"Perhaps not for swinging around in trees like a monkey!" Mercurymon snapped in an affronted tone. "However, I certainly didn't have any issues outmaneuvering my opponents in pitched combat!"

"Whatever you say, heavy-metal man," you replied with a flap of your hand. "But I'll go with the assumption that you didn't defeat too many of those opponents in midair."

"I'm surrounded by idiots."

"Likewise. And then I did this!"

You jumped again but not for a tree branch. Instead you had been gathering your concentration while Mercurymon was ranting his nonsensical lies and at the first opportunity you tried once again to teleport. A powerful tingle ran across your "skin" and just behind it your armor dissolved in a rolling wave. The sensation was like being caught up in a whirlpool and sucked down an enormous drain. You were drawn into one of the mirrors on your arms and vanished with a 'whoosh'.

Prismatic colors and indescribable noise surrounded you like a hurricane as you teleported through the otherworldly space. It was only for a second though and then you had the sensation of being stretched like a rubber band as you re-emerged into the Digital World. On top of a tree.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" you screamed and grabbed frantically for the trunk to support yourself. "Why?! Just, why?!"

"You stupid human!" Mercurymon howled. He couldn't do anything to retaliate though since you were currently using all of his limbs to keep from falling what looked like a million feet so he had to settle for verbally berating you. "What did I tell you?! You aren't ready to teleport! The control, the finesse, takes years to -"

SNAP! The breaking of a thin branch beneath one of your metallic feet interrupted his new rant and the two of you looked down at the same time. The only other branch supporting your considerable weight from below had a spreading crack more than halfway through it and was seconds from breaking as well.

"Dumb human!"

"SHUT UP!"

The branch split cleanly and with your footing gone your claws ripped through the tree bark and you fell freely towards the forest floor. Your thin but dense form easily broke through the lower thicker branches on your way down until you finally slammed into the ground. With a groan you reached out a hand and gripped the side of the crater you had dug upon landing.

"Yeah, that was fun," you mumbled. Then you promptly de-evolved.

"Look at what you did, human!" Mercurymon shrieked at you. "You knocked your evolution clean off! I told you not to try teleporting!"

"Well, yeah, but I managed it, didn't I?!" you shouted back. "You said I wouldn't be able to!"

"She does have a point," Dramon mused. Your personal human spirit looked a little worse for wear after plunging from the top of an ancient oak but her tone was firm. "You were so sure that she would get herself killed or not even emerge from a teleportation portal but she managed… relatively fine. Personally, I think she has a knack for it. So why don't you just drop your airs and get to teaching her all your little tricks for doing it safely."

"Tricks?!" Mercurymon gasped, sounding more offended than you had ever heard. "How dare you!"

"Honestly, Mercurymon," Ranamon sighed. "Don't you want to be of some use for once?"

"Hmph!"

"Go on, Ally. Evolve and shift to Steel Form so we can try it again," Dramon ordered.

"Right." You gave yourself a quick dust-off and got a good grip on your D-Tector.

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon! ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Mercurydramon!"

You were starting to get used to the feeling of this elemental shape but it would still be a while before you were truly comfortable with it. But at least it was durable - your armor didn't show any signs of your previous fall even though you could still feel it in your bones. Assuming you actually had bones right now.

Grumbling from the shield on your arm drew your attention to Mercurymon's face. "This is the worst idea in the history of bad ideas. I just want you to be aware of that."

"Yeah, yeah," you said. "Come on, get teaching already."

"Fine." The Steel Warrior hummed thoughtfully as you waited impatiently. "Well. From what I've seen you aren't totally lacking in talent so perhaps I can impart my wisdom to you. However, I won't stand for your tendency to leap before you look so you'll have to follow my instructions exactly, understand?"

"All right," you grudgingly agreed. "As long as you don't underestimate me and hold me back for no reason."

"Agreed. Let's begin with a lecture."

"Oh, beans."

"Pay attention! Now your technique on that last jump wasn't bad, but you're too tense to do it properly. You must relax and feel where you're portal is leading. And most importantly, before you jump you must lock it in place and hold it there! That was your problem returning from the moon."

"Okay," you said and started psyching yourself up for your next attempt. "Okay, relax and focus on the destination. Be confident but not tense."

You fell into a light trance and reached out with your mind, searching for your next destination. There were a lot but you couldn't get a solid grip on any of them to make the jump. You kept scanning and suddenly an enormous target appeared in your mind as if out of nowhere, shining like a mirror reflecting the sun. You didn't know where it had come from or how long it would last but you seized the chance.

The feeling of teleportation was similar to the previous jumps you had made: a tingle flowed across your frame, your armor vanished behind it, and you dropped into that strange rainbow-colored noisy tunnel. But this time you kept your grip on the shining exit and your path stayed true. And when you emerged again, feeling your body being stretched in the process, you weren't stuck on top of a tree or at the bottom of the ocean or anything. Instead you rose from the crystalline surface of a perfectly still lake, leagues from where you had been, as if suspended in zero gravity. You had just enough time to realize your position in space and unfurl your shield-like wings before the gravity kicked back in and avoided dropping into the water.

"All RIGHT!" you shouted and punched the air with one metallic fist. "That was AWESOME!"

"Yes," said Mercurymon with clear surprise. "All in all, not a bad jump. I've been underestimating your dumb luck all this time."

"Uh, it's pronounced 'mad skillz'," you grumbled into your arm-shield-mirror. "Get it right, man."

"Hmph."

After a few more tries at teleporting, all of which were successful (to varying degrees), you listened to the prompting of the other spirits and started practicing in their shapes. But with night coming on and you stuck in the very middle of an enormous beanstalk forest - the trees had switched to vegetable vines somewhere around your third or fourth jump - you eventually had to get them to settle down and help you find a place to sleep.

"Awww!" everyone except Mercurymon whined.

"But me having fun!" Grumblemon griped.

"I know, sugah! I haven't had so much fun since… I can't even remember!" Ranamon cried.

"Ah, if only we had my beast spirit," Arbormon added. "I could just eat us out of this forest, right?"

"Which wouldn't call any attention to us at all," Mercurymon commented snidely.

"Oh, yeah."

You regained their attention with a few loud claps. "Focus people! Er, Digimon! A place to rest for the night, help me find one!"

"All right, sugah. No need to get your drawers in a bunch."

In short order Arbormon found you a beanstalk with a reasonably sized hollow between its roots, just the right size for you to curl up in. And with the addition of an armful of fern-like leaves from nearby bushes to keep yourself from lying directly in the dirt it was transformed into a passable shelter for the night.

"And don't worry, Ally," Dramon said from outside as you tucked yourself in. "We'll keep watch for any danger until you wake."

"Thank you, Dramon," you said kindly. "Thank you all."


	40. Chapter 40: Taming the Beast Within

Chapter 40: Taming the Beast Within

You slept fitfully that night, like any time you went to sleep in a strange place. But each time you woke you were reassured when you looked out of the cavern's entrance and saw the comforting glow of the souls keeping watch over you. With them around there was no way anything dangerous could get to you.

Or so you thought. But the next morning as the sun began to rise you woke with a start. A hideous howling noise was reverberating in your tiny sleeping space. You flipped over, looking around frantically for the source. It sounded like… like…

You let out a gusty breath with a percussive 'pah!' sound as you realized what you were hearing. It was just high wind.

"Sheesh!" you grumbled. "I'm so jumpy when I'm on my own."

It wasn't just nerves though. The shrieking wind was changing pitch and growing louder as it rushed across the opening in your hidey-hole and it was starting to worry you. With great trepidation you crawled for the entrance and cautiously stuck your head out.

The wind ripped at your hair and clothes with the force of an onrushing thunderstorm and it felt like the slap of an icy cold towel against your skin. The breeze smelled like charged air - it sort of burned in your nose from all the energy - and the clouds overhead were so low you could almost touch them.

"Uh oh," you mumbled but you couldn't even hear yourself over the wind's fury.

Sensing trouble, your companion spirits appeared and stared up at the overcast sky with you.

"Gadzooks!" Mercurymon exclaimed. The others uttered similar observations as the cloudy skies overhead began to twist and writhe.

"Ally! Get back in there!" Dramon shouted when she noticed you were exposed.

She didn't have to tell you twice. You had never been close enough to a tornado to observe one directly before but if any sort of clouds could spawn them it would be the sort you were now looking at. You turned and dove headfirst back into your little burrow and safety.

Maybe because you were no longer in the entryway blocking trapped air from escaping, or maybe because the storm had suddenly grown much stronger in force, but when you tried to retreat from the opening the air around you all rushed out carrying you with it. Without warning you were thrown loose from the roots' safety net and you went tumbling across the forest floor end over end.

"Ally!" the spirits all cried together.

Then to your acute horror you felt the ground dissolve beneath you. For a second you remembered the strange monster that had attacked you in the bowels of the factory and you feared that it had discovered your location once again. But as you and the soil around you were drawn up into the air you caught sight of what you had first suspected was going to happen.

A tornado, the most hugely massive thing that you had ever seen in your life, had touched down among the skyscraper-sized stalks and was grinding its way along like a giant bulldozer. It didn't look like the ones you had seen in cartoons, the stereotypical tall thin funnel skipping lightly across the ground. This monstrosity was more as if something heavy had pushed the cloud cover down like a blanket until it was resting on the ground like a half buried upside-down pyramid. It was jet black as a crow's feathers and all sorts of flotsam was being whipped around its perimeter. To your dismay, you were one of those bits of flotsam.

You weren't content to be flung about like a rag doll though and you took quick action. You evolved to Dramon and spread your tiny armored wings against the insane wind. You made your way out of the thick dusty wind, dodging or slicing apart the chunks of plants and dirt that came flying at you from all directions. Then you were loose and streaking away from the lumbering beast as fast as you could.

Before long the pull of the wind weakened and you dared to glance back over your shoulder. The tornado was creeping along but at an angle to you so the danger - for the most part - was gone. You stopped and hovered while facing the twister and heaved a great sigh of relief for having escaped in one piece.

"Thank goodness," you breathed.

Then a shrieking whistle cut through the air, coming from the heart of the cyclone, and you felt the familiar tingle of a nearby spirit. But it couldn't be…

"Ah, crap," you sighed. It was inside the tornado. Where else? "This will hurt."

"Before you get yourself impaled by flying detritus," Mercurymon growled as his soul flashed into existence next to you, "perhaps you would consider shifting into Steel Form for the added armor protection. Otherwise you're likely to find pieces of yourself scattered all over the forest."

"Actually that's not a bad idea," you said in surprise. "Let's do it!"

You shifted to Mercurydramon and with a flick of your flat wings you charged at the dark funnel cloud with the wind whipping around your polished armor. As you drew close the tornado lashed out with whips of turbulence that threw you up and down through the air wildly. Possibly because you were new to that body or because your steel form had so many flat planes, what with the large shields and wings you had, but you found yourself laboring to correct your trajectory whenever these gusts struck you. But somehow you managed to thread your way inside the aura of destruction and to your amazement you discovered a tornado within the tornado.

This one looked more like the kind you had seen in cartoons, a tall thin cone colored an ashy gray/white with its point resting lightly on the ground below. And within its milky interior you could see a ball of light hovering high above the ground. That had to be the spirit!

You didn't hesitate but flew at the light, aiming just off to the side a little. This funnel was probably moving even faster than the outer one so you would be thrown off course when you made contact unless you adjusted for the wind's speed. Even if it did knock you away maybe you could grab the spirit as you shot by.

You realized that it was going to hurt a split second before you hit it. You had imagined it feeling like diving into water but it was more like smashing into a brick wall. Your velocity made you rebound a few feet and you tumbled through the unsettled air being blown this way and that as the wind caught your shields and wings. Managing to right yourself you were immediately sucked back out into the outer cyclone and pummeled with hunks of tree and rock. A particularly big piece of tree trunk struck you and splintered into bits and you could feel yourself being pushed further and further out of the twister by the spirit's power.

'This energy is like nothing I've ever felt before!' was all you could think. There was so much chaos engulfing you; you couldn't control your flight, you couldn't grab onto anything, you couldn't even concentrate enough to teleport to safety. 'At this rate I'll be beaten until I de-evolve or I'll be thrown halfway across the Digital World!'

Then with a roar Wyvernmon's soul burst into being within the tornado - it was such a massive storm that even your enormous beast spirit was dwarfed by comparison.

"Ally!" she shouted at you. For an instant you were almost afraid to answer: she seemed completely different from the friendly, smart-aleck spirit that you had met on the red moon. She had a wild look in her eyes and the razor-sharp planes of her wings and talons shone brightly in what little light managed to seep down through the thunderheads. "Slide Evolve! Do it now!"

"Slide what?!" you shouted back.

"There's no time for questions! Do it!"

Your heart jumped and you rushed to obey. You shifted out of the metal element back to Dramon and then you felt a surge of energy as if a door had been opened onto a condensed sun. There was only one thing you could do with that much energy pouring into you.

"SLIDE EVOLUTION - Wyvernmon!"

If you had thought that Slide Evolving - whatever that was - would relieve the current of power flooding into you and overloading your brain, you were sadly mistaken. Instead it was like the sun had come through the door and crammed itself inside your skull.

You screamed, though in this form it came out as an earthshattering bellow, and you thrust your arms, though in this form they were giant metallic wings, away from your body. If physics had meant anything the wind should have caught them and sent you crashing to the ground, but through the delirium that gripped you it was clear that wasn't what was happening. Instead some of the energy within you boiled over and escaped through the blades affixed to your armor in various places, slicing apart the wind of the tornado like wet tissue paper.

The winds split apart with a percussive thunderclap and what replaced it was utter silence and stillness. The sudden change was enough to snap you out of your daze and you came to hovering above a wide expanse of complete destruction. The tornado had carved a clear sharp path through the Bean Forest leaving behind a trail of churned up earth and broken vegetation.

"Woah," you said, surveying the carnage. "Now that was something."

"You tore apart my wind like it was nothing. Just who are you?"

You flinched and spun around, which generated a mini-hurricane by itself, but it was only the spirit from the tornado speaking to you. The spirit looked a lot like an eagle but the soul floating in front of it looked more like an angel - with long claws and a bikini. But it was hardly bigger than the average human and downright tiny compared to your current shape.

You leaned down to get a better look at the soul and in response she blinked and looked hard at you. "Wait a moment… Wyvernmon, is that you?"

"Uh, yes?" you said. "Who are you?"

Before the new soul could answer, Dramon and your other souls appeared clustered around her. "Zephyrmon," Dramon said, "I had the feeling that tornado was your doing."

"Dramon!" Zephyrmon exclaimed. "And the other Legendary Warriors!"

"Ally, this is Zephyrmon, the Beast Spirit of Wind. Zephyrmon, Ally is the human who inherited my spirits."

"Your activation would explain the unease I've been feeling," the wind spirit said. "That's why I've been moving around recently."

"Which explains all the tornadoes the Tinmon have been seeing around here," you realized.

"An unfortunate side effect of the energy released when I emerge from hiding."

"All of this is incredibly fascinating," remarked Mercurymon dryly, "however you may want to slide back to Dramon and claim Zephyrmon so we can get moving."

"As cheerful as ever I see," Zephyrmon commented.

Dramon sighed gustily. "But he does have a point. This world is in trouble and we don't have much time left. Let's go."

The reminder brought you back and you were all business again. Another second longer to recall how to slide evolve and then you were scanning the new spirit into your D-Tector.

'These beast spirits,' you thought as you descended down towards the ripped-up forest floor. 'They're so powerful! No wonder we need them to save the world!'

~Izumi POV~

"What do you mean we're not going back?!" I cried. I couldn't believe what I had just heard.

"Not so loud!" whined the Mole Trailmon. "I have very sensitive ears, you know!"

"But we need to go back! We need to go back right now!"

"I heard you the first time, but that's not my next stop. We're off to Flame Terminal next."

"C'mon buddy, can't you make an exception this once?" Takuya pleaded. "We have a friend who might be in trouble!"

We were having this argument in the middle of Forest Terminal, the first major stop after leaving the factory. Apparently, like Flame Terminal, this was a major hub between all of the different elemental lands with Trailmon coming and going constantly. But it was just our luck that Mole arrived during a rare lull when there was only one other Trailmon about to leave; worse yet, it was an express Trailmon heading far to the west without stopping. The factory where we had lost track of Ally was to the north and east.

"Well, I'm sorry that you have that problem but I'm not allowed to deviate from my scheduled route. It's against the Trailmon code."

"And after we saved your life!" I couldn't understand why Mole would be so heartless and inflexible.

"And I'm grateful but rules are rules," he insisted. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm already late for my next stop." He blew his whistle and steam billowed from between his wheels as he started to move.

"Wait!" Junpei shouted running forward waving his arms frantically. "We'll give you chocolate to take us back!"

"Nope, sorry! Woo-woo!"

With that, Mole vanished in a cloud of steam and we were left in the middle of the empty terminal. The sun-dappled leaves overhead rustled gently in the warm wind as we stood silently for a moment.

"What do we do now?" Tomoki's voice sounded small in the huge train station.

No one answered him right away. Even I couldn't come up with anything positive to say at first.

"Hello Digidestined." With a flutter of wings Nefertimon descended from up in the trees and landed before us. "You all look as if you're troubled by something. Can I be of help?"

"Nefertimon!" I cried. Finally, a ray of light in the storm of bad luck! "Yes, we need help!"

The situation took a little time to explain but Nefertimon listened patiently to the whole thing before chiming in with her opinion. "Listen, children. If you think it over you'll realize that your energies are being misdirected."

"What do you mean?!" Junpei demanded aggressively.

"I mean that if your friend was taken from the factory in order to keep her safe, then why would she have been returned there? It would just be putting her back in harm's way."

"… Oh." That had taken the wind right out of Junpei's sails.

"You children are more likely to meet up with your friend again by continuing to move forward to new places instead of going back to where you've been before. I'm sure your friend will be back in no time."


	41. Chapter 41: Crazy Canyon Madness!

Chapter 41: Crazy Canyon Madness!

"I swear to God, if I have to eat one more giant green bean…"

"It's not going to kill you, Ally."

"It just might! Do you have any idea how much fiber are in those things?!"

As you and the souls continued to trek through the forest of giant beanstalks - climbing hills, pushing aside bean leaves, tripping over every single freaking root in the whole freaking forest - arguing spiritedly about the usual sort of nonsense, you thought unhappily about your friends and wherever they might be. Thanks to the souls you weren't exactly lonely but you had really started to connect with the other Digidestined. You wanted to be back with them, joking around and having fun just like you were with the souls.

"Hey, kid!" Arbormon called from up ahead. "Here's the way out! Come on, right!"

"Woo hoo! Finally!" Overjoyed you ran at full tilt for the wood spirit and the thin slants of light showing through the broad leaves. On to the next adventure!

You pushed through the last curtain of leaves - and emerged into a barren wasteland of jagged rock and stunted vegetation.

"Freakin' beans!"

"Well, you did want to get out of the forest," Dramon commented.

"Yeah, but not into the middle of nowhere!" you growled back. With a sigh you moved over to a nearby rock and sat down to take a quick rest. "Anyway, I'm not strolling off into that without knowing where to go. Where's the next spirit?"

"There is no spirit out in that rock field," Mercurymon informed you. "All of the remaining spirits lie beyond."

"Crapbaskets! And let me guess: no Trailmon?"

"Nope."

"I think I'm starting to get why Junpei was so averse to walking around the college campus."

You weighed your options, not that there was much doubt about what you would decide to do. Those spirits weren't going to find themselves anytime soon.

You had just leaned back against another rocky outcropping and shut your eyes for a bit when a sudden loud noise startled you into alertness again. You looked around and in the distance you saw an enormous cloud of dust, like the trail left in a cartoon by a character running quickly. Then movement caught your eye - tiny pebbles on the ground were bouncing rapidly. Something heavy was passing by.

"What is that?" you asked to thin air.

"I think it's the biannual migration," Zephyrmon said.

"Are you sure?" asked Wyvernmon, floating over you like a cloud. "It's rather early in the year for it."

"Well, with how the world is being torn up it's not surprising that some of the effects would be showing already," Mercurymon commented. "Perhaps the climate is shifting."

"Let's go investigate!" Dramon announced. "Maybe this is something we can reverse."

"Hey, yeah!" you shouted. "That's a great idea!"

You leapt up and ran off across the jagged ground, heading for the middle of the rising dust plume in the distance. It was some run - jagged plates of rock were poking every which way, as if forcibly pushed together by some monstrous giant. But the souls, particularly Grumblemon, guided you along the safest path through the obstacles.

Without warning you found yourself on the lip of a steep-walled canyon and it was only a last minute warning from Dramon that kept you from going over the edge. You teetered on your tiptoes, frantically windmilling your arms to get your center of balance back, and it was with immense relief that you felt your heels reconnect with the stone. You let out a breath you hadn't realized that you had been holding and then it caught in your throat at the sight before you.

All up and down the long, twisty canyon were elephants. At least you thought they were elephants at first; but when a small knot of them jostled one another and the largest reared up and trumpeted angrily, you saw the curved tusks and shaggy fur and it clicked for you.

"You were right, Zephyrmon," Ranamon said as she studied the herd. "It's the Mammothmon migration."

"Wow, look at them all!" you said. "I can't even see where they end!"

"It's a big herd," Wyvernmon rumbled. "It goes back for miles."

"Wow!"

"They're headed north for the summer," Dramon told you. "But it's early still. Spring just started."

"Well, if they're headed out of this area then that's my ticket to finding the next spirit!" you proclaimed. "Let's see if I can't catch a ride on the sly, eh?"

"Be careful, Ally," Grumblemon said as you began to climb precariously down the rock face. "Mammothmon very vicious beasts. Stay quiet."

"10-4, Dudemon." You were being more careful than ever before as you placed your feet on the tiniest outcroppings of split rock. You were sure that one of them would break off at the absolute worst possible time. You tried to wait as long as you could before committing to each step, freezing with panic each time you thought you felt the rock shift.

You paused at a particularly dicey-looking crossroads before choosing where to place your foot. The rock looked weak, you knew that it looked weak. Just the fact that you had to think it over was a bad sign.

But against your better judgement you put your weight onto the stone ledge. It held.

You let out a breath and immediately the ledge that your left hand was gripping collapsed away. You shrieked as you fell until the air was knocked out of you when you landed.

You felt relieved until the moment when you realized that the thing you had landed on was warm and moving. Oh, this would end badly. You clung to it and waited to be thrown and trampled.

But the herd continued on unperturbed and you dared to hope that they hadn't noticed you. The human spirit souls appeared seated on the backs of nearby Mammothmon and you could clearly see their relief. It would've been downright embarrassing to have gone to the moon and back and end up dying as a pancake.

Eventually, of course, you got bored so you began to whistle and hum to the tunes running perpetually through you mind. It didn't seem to bother the Mammothmon any more than anything else you were doing.

You were completely unprepared when a trunk snaked around your waist and tightened threateningly. And then you cried out involuntarily as you were lifted into the air and dangled before a monster made entirely of bones.

"What do you think you're doing?" the bone-Mammothmon demanded.

"I'm sorry!" you stammered, intimidated by the thing's powerful voice. "I was just riding along to get out of this area! I would've asked first but I fell off the cliff a little ways back!"

"Hmm," it rumbled. "Where were you trying to go?"

"Nowhere in particular. I'm looking for my friends: old ones and new ones." Even as you were explaining yourself the entire bunch of Mammothmon continued plodding along, though they had all taken notice of you now. "Listen, I'm sorry if I offended you. I"ll go if you want."

"Hmm." The bone-Mammothmon continued to walk as it studied you closely. "Well! You aren't that heavy. I think we can let you tag along with us."

It lifted its trunk and with surprising gentleness placed you on top of its head between its fan-like ears. You found yourself sitting on the metal of an armored helmet rather than bone - the skeleton-y part began with the Digimon's neck and went back. But its spine wasn't smooth; large arched spikes stuck up from the vertebrae, leaving no room for a person to sit. So you didn't object to sitting on metal. It also gave you a kick-ass view over the heads of the smaller Mammothmon. Now that their leader (you assumed) had accepted you they had gone back to ignoring you.

You were taken aback by how far ahead the herd stretched. "Wow, there's a lot of you. Where are you all headed?"

"We're traveling north to our summer pastures, in the tundra," answered your mount. "We need to stay where it's cold or else we get heat-sickness. We started out a few days ago."

"SkullMammothmon," interrupted one of the Mammothmon up ahead, "we'll be reaching a lake and a grove of trees soon. Can we stop to rest?"

"Yes," replied SkullMammothmon. "But just a quick one. We need to keep moving to stay ahead of It."

"Yes, sir!" The Mammothmon trumpeted and there were answers from far ahead and far behind.

You were curious now. "It? What's It?"

"It is the reason we left our winter pastures earlier than usual this year," he explained. "We don't know what It is, but we do know that It has somehow destroyed the base data of the land."

"Oh no!" Could this be something related to the enemy currently attacking the world? The odds seemed good that it was. "What happened to the land?"

"We first noticed that the ground was getting soft. But it wasn't like the softness after a rain, it was like when a melon goes rotten. It began to spread and infect the trees and vegetation. Everything was dying and the ground continued to dissolve away beneath us.

"We finally knew that we had to leave when the data could no longer support our weight. Just walking was punching holes through the ground and into the abyss at the world's center."

"So, you're going to your summer grounds for now. But what will you do when winter comes again?"

"The grazing should hold out for a few months if we ration carefully. Hopefully by then the south will have recovered and we can return. If it doesn't… we'll all starve."

'This is definitely something to do with that weird monster and its plans to destroy the Digital World. I have to do something,' you thought. 'I have to move faster. Our conflict is beginning to spill over and affect innocent Digimon.'


	42. Chapter 42: Godzilla! Or Maybe Not

Chapter 42: Godzilla! Or Maybe Not

With an almighty shiver you came awake and sat up, rubbing your arms to try to get the blood flowing again. It seemed like overnight the temperature had plummeted into the arctic.

"I'm glad you're awake, human," SkullMammothmon said when he felt you moving. "We have reached our summer grounds in the north."

"Hoo! So that's why it's so cold!" As you tried to warm up you took a look around at the scenery.

Mountains towered over you on all sides forming a flattened bowl which was where the Mammothmon were milling. There was a gap between two of the mountains on the far side, but the gap was filled by a solid river of ice. A glacier!

"This place is neat!" you said. "But it's cold as balls! I gotta find someplace to warm up!"

SkullMammothmon lowered you down and after thanking him you started hiking through the forest of hairy elephant legs. You kept going, always heading for the walls of the bowl to find a way out.

But it was so incredibly cold out! And when you had boarded the Trailmon to come to this world you had left your coat behind in the library. But how could you have known that you were going to another world?! Your fingers and toes were already numb and it was rapidly spreading up your arms and legs. You had to get out of the wind.

Then by some miracle a cave appeared in front of you and you sprinted for it. You nearly slipped on the wet rocks by the entrance but once inside you were given some relief from the icy wind.

Not as much relief as a fire would give though. You started hunting around in the corners for dry grasses and wood but it was bare.

"Hey, Dramon?" you said. Your teeth were chattering.

"Yes, Ally?" your spirit answered as she appeared beside you.

"I need to evolve. I'm so cold!"

"I won't be of much help, Ally. Without anything to burn, my flames won't stay alight. And I'm hardly better covered than you are now."

"But I gotta do something! I'm turning into a popsicle!"

"I can help with that!"

There was a burst of red light and heat from behind you in the cave and at your waist your D-Tector screeched. A red glowing spirit came shooting forward and the soul appeared right in front of you.

He was a tall blonde wearing a skintight black outfit with red and gold armor. His helmet had horns and something about him reminded you of someone…

"Hey, kid! I'm Agunimon!" Instantly you recognized the personality as identical to Takuya's.

"Oh, good lord," you groaned. "No, wait, this is great! Now Takuya will shut up!"

Agunimon laughed and the other spirits all appeared in a semicircle behind you. You all exchanged warm greetings and relief that Takuya would ease up on you when it came to spirit-hunting from now on.

"Yeah, he can be a handful," Agunimon chuckled. "But you know he's got his heart in the right place.

"But what about you, kid? You seem kinda light on spirits. Six human spirits, including me, and two beast spirits."

"Well, the others have some too," you said with a shrug.

"Where are they?"

"It's a long story." You told him a quick version of your split from the others, your trip to the moon, and your return. "So, we aren't sure where they are but we're looking for them now."

"I know a place nearby that's good for meeting up with others," Agunimon said thoughtfully. "And the other Digidestined have been there before. There's a chance they could be waiting there if they're looking for you in this area."

"Epic!" Your enthusiasm suddenly cooled though as an icy breeze flooded the cave and you shivered violently. "But first I need to set something on fire and warm up! I'm freezing!"

"Hey, I"m not the Legendary Warrior of Fire for nothing!" Agunimon cheerfully told you. "Elemental Shift to my form and you'll be toasty warm while we fly!"

"Hot damn, why didn't you say so sooner?!" you barked. "Let's get this freak show on the road!

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon! ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Agunidramon!"

Agunimon hadn't been lying - as soon as your transformation was completed you felt a surge of warmth from deep in your gut. It was even stronger than the simmering fire when you became Dramon. But that wasn't unexpected; you were currently the incarnation of pure fire.

Your red armor gleamed in the crisp tundra light and smoke rose from holes near your wrists and ankles. Your long reptilian tail coiled to and fro restlessly on the ground, scattering pebbles and raising little puffs of dust. But the best feature were your new wings (like always): they had a core of golden armor, like your Soul Spirit wings, but extending from them were fans of flickering flame. Red changed to orange changed to yellow and back again in rippling waves in the time it took to blink.

You lifted them up over your head, basking in the radiant warmth. Already your muscles felt limber and powerful without the chilly numbness you had been suffering just a bare minute ago.

"Ahhh, much better!" you sighed. "Let's go!"

With a mighty flap you launched yourself into flight and burst out of the cave in a shower of sparks.

~Izumi POV~

"Hey, you guys," I said, looking around. "Doesn't this place look familiar?"

"I was thinking that too," Tomoki answered. "Maybe we've been here before. What town is this?"

We all looked around at the crowds of Digimon around us. Nothing about them jogged my memory - it was the buildings that I recognized. But from where?

Then, far off in the distance, I saw the crowds part briefly and a familiar shape exited one of the buildings and started moving away from us. For a second I was shocked.

"Hey, everyone, look!" I cried and pointed at the retreating figure.

"No way!" they all yelled.

"I don't believe it," Takuya said. "I thought we were making so much progress."

"I'm having deja-vu," Junpei said.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kouichi asked.

It was Kouji who explained to his brother. "That's a ShellNumemon. We must be near their village. In fact, I think it's that mountain over there."

Now that he pointed it out I recognized the massive peak in the distance. And just like Junpei had said I started experiencing the memories of the last time we had passed through this town. We had been almost as hungry as we were now and in desperation we had accepted a job for the ShellNumemon to save them from Grumblemon in exchange for a meal. After a misunderstanding we had ended up fighting him and his beast form, Gigasmon.

"What a difference this time," I said.

"What are you talking about, Izumi-chan?" Junpei asked me. "This is the same. Isn't it?"

"No way, it's totally different! Cherubimon isn't tearing apart the world for one thing, and the Legendary Warriors are on our side. Once we finally find all the spirits it'll probably be a lot easier to save the world this time around."

"I think you're wrong," Kouji said darkly. "Even though so many things are in our favor we're still struggling. The team is split up and it feels like the search for the spirits is spiraling out of control."

"Kouji-san has a point," Tomoki added. "This time everything feels different."

"Yeah, I guess you guys could be right…"

" **Corona Blaster!** "

Explosions suddenly rocked the town and buildings burst into flames a few streets over. Digimon screamed and ran in the opposite direction as our group faced whatever the new thing was that was attacking us. Then I heard wings flapping and as our enemy came into view my sense of deja-vu strengthened.

"It's BurningGreymon!"

The Beast Spirit of Flame roared and shot more fiery bullets from the guns on his forearms. More buildings exploded and black smoke billowed up into the sky.

"All right, BurningGreymon!" Takuya shouted happily. "Come on, you guys, go get 'im!"

"Ease up, Takuya!" I snapped.

"But he's right, we gotta do something!" Junpei said. "BurningGreymon will turn the town to ashes!"

We all evolved, except Takuya and Kouji, and we charged at the rampaging beast.

" **Snow Bomber!** " Kumamon shouted. He fired snowballs at BurningGreymon but they melted before reaching him.

"Nice try, smallfry!" Beetlemon yelled. "Watch how it's done! **Lightning Topper!** "

He flew at BurningGreymon but was easily slapped away by the beast warrior's long tail. The same thing happened to me when I tried to attack and all of Kumamon's attempts were ineffective. Only Loweemon's attacks seemed to be affecting BurningGreymon, driving him back and seemingly causing him pain.

But eventually, using the power of teamwork, we were able to wear him down and win. An enormous blast of all of our powers combined made BurningGreymon freeze and then the beast spirit and fractal code appeared around him.

"Yeah!" Takuya trumpeted as he held up his D-Tector to claim his spirit. "Now I can finally help you guys fight!"

However the four of us were more concerned with the Digimon who had been possessed by the beast spirit; of all things, it was a Patamon, and the poor guy looked exhausted.

"I wonder if this is some kind of sign," I said as Beetlemon and I helped Patamon down to the ground. "I mean, we were just talking about how it felt like we were struggling. And now a beast spirit appears? Seems like it means something."

"I think it means that we don't have to hear Takky complain anymore," he replied.

"It's about time," we heard Loweemon comment as we landed.


	43. Chapter 43: The Corniest Chapter Ever

Chapter 43: The Corniest Chapter Ever

You strolled slowly along the streets of the Digimon bazaar, taking in the sights and smells of the carnival-like atmosphere. Digimon were laughing and shouting, running back and forth with treats and prizes, and the air was filled with the wonderful aromas of grilling meat and gooey sugar.

Unlike a human bazaar though, this one had a special treat. In fact, it was the main reason that a marketplace like this could even exist so far north. In the very center of the habitable space was an enormous boiler-heater, the one thing keeping this small zone of the tundra livable for more than polar bears. Whenever you started to feel the nip in the air while you were exploring and keeping an eye out for your friends you would head for that boiler to chase away the chill. Equally fantastic, the most comfortable area around the boiler had tables and chairs set up and was patrolled by smiling Digimon handing out cups of steaming hot tea. For free! Between the oozing heat of the mechanical campfire and the tongue-scalding tea you could feel the northern frost melting off your bones.

"Ahh, I wish we had this in the human world!" you sighed between slurps. "It really takes the edge off winter."

You started to foray out into the maze of stalls again, weaving from side to side to get a good look at everything and to see if you could spot any of the others in the crowd. Agunimon had said that this bazaar - the Autumn Something Bazaar, he called it - attracted Digimon from all over the world. So even if your friends weren't here, maybe some Digimon had seen them somewhere! But so far, you had had no luck; to be sure, Digimon were watching you curiously but none had approached you.

"Maybe it's too much to hope for that another Elecmon would lead me to my friends again," you mumbled to yourself.

Suddenly something on your right grabbed your arm and yanked you off your feet. You shouted with alarm and shook off your attacker - a grinning silver monkey wearing sunglasses.

'What fresh hell is this?' you wondered.

"Well, hey there, darlin'," the monkey said in a remarkably good Elvis Presley impersonation. "This is your lucky day!"

Instantly you were suspicious. "Oh, is it? Why's that?"

"Check it out, honey, uh-huh-huh, a superstar like MetalEtemon wouldn't lip-sync to ya!" He gave you a sparkling silver grin and a thumbs up. "Now, I been watchin' ya for a while an' I gotta say, you look like a string without a guitar! And, since I've got brains in addition to talent and good looks, I had a killer idea! How about ya sing backup and help me sell my swingin' statues?"

He gestured to the stall behind him and you saw it was filled with dozens of silver statues in all sizes and poses. And they were all of MetalEtemon.

"I can see you're speechless from their beauty, darlin'!" MetalEtemon said and then struck a body-builder's pose. "But beauty is easy to sculpt when a superstar like me is the model!"

You just stared at the statues, unable to come up with a lie big enough to save yourself.

"Uh, listen, I'd love to help but I'm looking for some friends of mine," you finally managed to say. "Gotta run."

You started to turn to leave but MetalEtemon jumped in front of you. "Now hold on a second, honey! I like a shrewd bargainer and everybody knows that whatever humans like is the hip new style. And MetalEtemon has got to be sellin' the hip new style, ya read me?

"Besides, I ain't askin' ya to help me out for free. I'll give ya a discount on my best self-portrait!"

You snorted once with amusement. "Listen, no offense but I don't need any monkey statues. And anyway I don't have any Digisheckles."

You tried to sidestep him again but again he moved in front of you. "A regular devil in disguise, ain't ya?" he said admiringly. "Now don't get all shook up, baby. Tell ya what I'll do, you help me out and I'll split the proceeds with ya, seventy-thirty."

"Fifty-fifty," you immediately countered.

His wide grin vanished. "Honey, you're really startin' to bug me."

"Okay then, bye!" You made a sharp turn and crossed the road to look at the stall directly across from MetalEtemon's. From the corner of your eye you noticed a small crowd of Digimon that had been standing and watching you and MetalEtemon talk move closer to the new stall. Had they been following you the whole time? If so, it was no wonder MetalEtemon was trying to get you to help him sell stuff. Without doing a thing you were already attracting a crowd.

The realization made you smile and apparently the other stall owner knew about your following and was very pleased to have you there. And when you spared a look at MetalEtemon he was practically broiling with anger, watching his potential windfall slip through his shiny fingers.

"Okay, darlin'! You've got a deal!" he shouted at you at last.

"These are really cool," you said to the other stall owner, "but I'm gonna go back over there and check those things out again."

The owner groaned as you stalked back over to MetalEtemon with your shadowing crowd. "Fifty-fifty, right?"

"Darlin', I'll have ya know that I'm the King of Rock n' Roll!" MetalEtemon fumed at you. "And nobody messes with the King!"

"Except me." You crossed your arms and tapped a foot impatiently. "So do we have a deal or not? I'm a busy woman."

"All right, all right," he sighed. Then he moved beside you and threw an arm around your shoulders. "Honey, this is the luckiest day of your life! It happens that the Superstar Store of MetalEtemon Statues is having its Grand Annual Rockin' Sale! I'm practically giving them away!"

"Fascinating!" you said in your most fake enthusiastic voice. "Tell me more!"

Your response, fake as it was, seemed to please MetalEtemon. "With pleasure, darlin'! My statues are made of the finest digichrome, just like my stunning self! They even have the same sort of magnetism, uh-huh-huh!"

"Amazing!" you gasped. "What titles did you give them?"

"Titles? Uh…" He thought for a moment. "Well, this is 'Heartbreak Hotel', this is 'Jailhouse Rock', this one is 'Return to Sender'…"

As he continued to rattle off the names and you pretended to hang on every word, you saw your distant crowd getting closer and closer until they were all standing at the counter with you.

"Absolutely incredible! And how do you make them?"

Your interruption made MetalEtemon take notice of his enlarged audience and he quickly expanded his acting. "Pay attention, all you darlin's, and I'll show you how it's done!"

He ran to what looked like an oven and from inside pulled out a molten hunk of metal. His hands were a blur as he shaped the metal, throwing blobs of red-hot goo this way and that. One of those blobs came flying right at you and you flinched, but Dramon quickly appeared and caught it before vanishing again.

"Ta dah!" MetalEtemon announced, holding up a new statue - of you! "It's my new number one hit, 'Hard Headed Woman'!"

"Hey!"

"It's great! I'll take it!" shouted a gecko-like Digimon.

"I'll take two!" cried a Digimon that looked like a chicken with a bush on its back.

The rest of the crowd started clamoring for statues and MetalEtemon was grinning from ear-to-ear as he took their money. Quietly you snuck out the back of the crowd and slipped between two other tents to come up behind MetalEtemon's tent. You would wait until he was sold out and then the two of you would finish your deal.

It didn't take long at all and then you joined him in his tent. "Seems like you did okay," you said to him.

"You bet your sideburns, honey, uh-huh-huh!" he replied cheerfully. "I knew it was a great idea havin' you be the backup singin' to my superstar lead! I oughta partner with humans more often!"

"And you didn't forget our agreement, right?"

"Don't be cruel, darlin'." He handed you a stack of paper bills that you realized were Japanese yen. Huh.

Then you had an idea that you should have had four pages ago. You separated out several bills and held them up for MetalEtemon to see. "Tell you what, I'll give you back five percent if you answer some questions for me."

"Why didn't you say so sooner, honey?! I was hatched in the Village of Beginnings -"

"Not about you! I wanted to know if you've seen any other humans here at the bazaar. I'm looking for six of them."

"Sorry, little momma. If I had, you bet your blue suede shoes that I woulda made them my roadies, uh-huh-huh."

"What about spirits? Are there any around here?"

"Sorry, baby, the only spirit around here is the spirit of rock n' roll, yeah!"

You sighed. This metal monkey was driving you bananas. "Okay. Thanks anyway."

You handed over the payment and walked off into the crowds again. Back to searching.


	44. Chapter 44: Monster Attack!

Chapter 44: Monster Attack!

You continued exploring around the bazaar attracting small crowds periodically. None of the other vendors were as forward as MetalEtemon though so you were left in peace as you walked.

As you studied a larger shop filled with all sorts of odds and ends that you had never seen before you heard a voice suddenly rise above the general chatter of the crowd.

"Thief!" it cried. "Thief!"

Your head whipped around just in time to see a small black Digimon pushing its way through the groups of other creatures. The owner of the voice, a waist-high plant Digimon with a pink flower on its head, ran out of its stall and pointed after the vanishing robber. Clearly though it wasn't fast enough to give chase.

But you were. "I'm on it!" you shouted to the Digimon and you took off in an all-out sprint after the runner.

You chased it through the crowds, down the alleys, and around merchandise stalls. All you ever saw of it though was black fur and a gray tail.

Quickly you figured out that it was heading for the edge of the bazaar. You poured on the speed - if it made it out into the snow you would have to evolve to catch it.

But the Digimon had noticed you chasing it and wasn't going to go down without a fight. It slid to a stop and pivoted to face you; you thought it might be going to surrender and slowed your pace.

" **Petite Fire!** " A bolt of black flames erupted from the Digimon's mouth and flew right at your face!

In a blur Mercurymon appeared, grabbed you by your shoulders, and threw you to the ground on your back. The black fire rocketed past the end of your nose and blasted a chunk out of the wall behind you, raising a cloud of dust. You coughed and tried to wave it away, expecting a followup attack.

The Digimon had chosen to flee though and with a growl you hopped up and sprinted after it again.

You reached the edge of the warm area just in time to see the Digimon's tail vanishing past the edge of the snow bank. Out into the snow field.

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon!"

You leapt into the air in pursuit of the thief - it was easy to spot the trail and the Digimon against the backdrop of white snow. You descended on it and hit the ice right in front of it in a crouch.

It stopped and gaped at you in surprise. "What? Who are you?!"

You bared your fangs in a snarl. "I'm a Legendary Warrior and I'm here to catch you!"

" **Petite Fire!** "

" **Spirit Flame!** "

The two fireballs canceled each other out. On the heels of your attack you charged at the Digimon and slugged it square on the jaw. It fell back and you pounced onto it to hold it immobile.

"That's enough!" you barked. "Come with me! You're going to return whatever it was that you took!"

The two of you struggled a bit longer until the Digimon surrendered. He introduced himself as BlackGabumon and he was obviously sullen about having been defeated. But he came with you quietly enough even after you had de-evolved.

"Hey," you said as the two of you walked. "Why would you steal something like this?" You studied the enormous pink hat in your hands. "It's not really your color."

"I took it cuz I wanted to," he replied gruffly. "What other reason is there for taking stuff?"

"You might be a little sorry."

"Yet I'm not."

You gave BlackGabumon a stern look. He was being such a brat - he actually sounded a little like your sister when she was in a mood.

So you kept walking in silence. The crowds of Digimon stared at you both and gave you a wide berth; not surprising since BlackGabumon had a vicious look to him and you also looked angry.

The only time that BlackGabumon gave you any trouble was while you were passing by a cart of meat pies. He came to a sudden stop and held his dog-like nose in the air. "Mmm, that smells good!"

"Hey," you said calmly. "Come on."

BlackGabumon glanced at you out of the corner of his eye and began to reach for one of the unguarded pies.

You slapped his paw away quickly with a "Hey!" and put yourself between him and the food. "Don't steal! That's how you got into trouble in the first place!"

"But I'm hungry!"

"Fine." You grabbed him and dragged him over to the food stand - the owner was watching the two of you suspiciously - and proceeded to buy a couple of meat pies for him and yourself.

You started chowing down immediately but BlackGabumon just looked back and forth between you and the meat pies he held. "Hey, why are you doing this for me?"

"I'm helping cuz I wanted to," you said. You leveled an even look at him to be sure he got your point. "What other reason is there for helping someone?"

"Hmph!" BlackGabumon looked away haughtily and took a big bite of his pie.

Suddenly the ground began to shake and Digimon all around you began to mutter with worry. You managed to keep from falling over and to keep an eye on BlackGabumon at the same time, though he seemed more preoccupied with his dropped lunch than with escaping. There were more loud noises and earth rumblings and then the store right next to the food stand disintegrated, pelting you with splinters of wood.

" **Freezing Breath!** " A frigid whirlwind blew past you, engulfing more buildings and Digimon and encasing them in ice.

It was a Mammothmon on the rampage! You dove out of the way as the beast charged by, smashing apart buildings and frozen Digimon with its trunk and tusks. It was horrible to watch - what sort of evil had caused the Mammothmon to turn so vicious?

"BlackGabumon!" you cried. "Run! Get to safety! I'll handle this!"

You threw the hat to him and brought out your D-Tector. "SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon!"

You leapt into the air and chased after the Mammothmon. It was still trumpeting and trampling its way through the bazaar and you could only imagine how many poor Digimon were being hurt. You raced to put yourself between the Mammothmon and a slow-moving hermit-crab-type Digimon that didn't have a hope of escaping.

You caught its trunk mid-swing and resisted the great force with all your might. "Mammothmon!" you grunted. "Stop! You're hurting people!"

" **Tusk Strike!** " To your surprise the Mammothmon's tusks launched like rockets and slammed into your stomach and chin. They sent you flying and you dug a long groove in the dirt when you struck the ground, leaving you dazed and sore.

"Agh!" you groaned. "He's too strong! What do I do?!"

"You need to slide to your beast form!" Agunimon shouted at you. "None of the human spirits has the power to stop him!"

"Speak for yourself, Agunimon," Mercurymon argued. "I could claim victory."

"No way," Arbormon said. "That guy would shatter you like a mirror, right!"

"Don't look at me, sugah. It's way too cold for me to be any help."

"Me could fight, but breaking ground might hurt more Digimon."

"Fine, I'll slide evolve!" you announced but you were quickly interrupted.

"The only problem," Wyvernmon said from overhead, "with sliding to my form is that you don't have enough experience to control me. My attacks are far-ranging; we'd level the whole place!"

It wasn't a pretty mental image. "Then what can we do?!"

"Wait!" Zephyrmon cried as she appeared beside you. "Slide and then shift to wind beast form! Then you'll have both power and control!"

"That might just work," Agunimon said and all the others seemed to agree. "Do it now!"

"Right! SLIDE EVOLUTION - Wyvernmon!"

Your shadow in your massive beast form fell across the entire bazaar and everywhere Digimon looked skyward and pointed. From this vantage point you could clearly see the destruction that Mammothmon had caused during his stampede - a trail of destroyed buildings and fires leading here and there randomly. And it was still continuing; Mammothmon was the one Digimon who hadn't noticed your appearance.

You raised your snout up to the sun and roared. "ELEMENTAL SHIFT!"


	45. Chapter 45: Elemental Dragon &Metal Wolf

Chapter 45: Elemental Dragon and Metal Wolf

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Archaeoptermon!"

Suddenly you were smaller! Especially for a beast - you weren't all that much bigger than when you had your human spirit shape. Your body was like a velociraptor's with armor on your feet and face, and brightly colored feathers on your wings, tail, and neck.

"Right!" you said. "Now let's put a stop to this!"

You folded your wings and dove at Mammothmon from above. " **Ancient Hurricane!** "

Powerful wind with blades of energy within it shot from from your wings and struck the mammoth in the middle of his back. He roared and reared up, clearly furious and looking for revenge. You kicked him in the forehead and stunned him so that you could hover in front of him.

"Now stop, Mammothmon!" you ordered. "You're hurting Digimon and destroying the bazaar! What's wrong?!"

" **Tusk Strike!** "

"Woah!" You dodged the rocket tusks and swooped out of his line of sight. " **Ancient Hurricane!** "

The blades of energy struck Mammothmon but most of them simply bounced away. He was utterly enraged now and spun around to slap you with his trunk. You tumbled down and demolished a line of tents when you hit the ground.

As you started to pull yourself up you heard Mammothmon stomping closer. 'Oh no.'

~BlackGabumon POV~

I stayed put under the canvas awning where I'd taken refuge during the fight that weird human was having with Mammothmon. Not that I was afraid - but I knew better than to get in the middle of a fight with a furious Mammothmon. That weird girl who could turn into a Digimon was welcome to it.

And what was with that girl? How could a human become a Digimon? And what sort of Digimon had she turned into? That enormous shadow and that roar…

Now the fight had really picked up and the ground was shaking and the air was filled with roaring and trumpeting.

Suddenly I heard something odd. It was a voice. But it wasn't a scared voice like one of the Digimon running away. It was something powerful and overwhelming.

"Come here," it commanded. "Come get me."

Fortunately it was coming from the opposite direction of the fight. I pushed my way out of the canvas tent and started slinking along the empty streets. Where was that voice coming from? Then I could smell it, something vastly different from the rest of the bazaar smells. It was intoxicating.

I drew closer to the furnace at the center of the bazaar and I saw a shimmering figure floating in front of it. My body started moving closer to it without my thinking about it.

"What are you?" I asked.

"Me, Gigasmon." The image stared solemnly at me and I could feel the power radiating from it. "Me need your help."

"And why should I help you?!" I demanded. "What've you ever done for me?!"

No one had ever done anything for me out of the kindness of their heart. Everyone always wanted something in return - so why should I be any different? If I didn't take care of myself, nobody else would.

"It not just me who need your help. Human girl need you too. She not have power to stop Mammothmon as she is. She need my power."

I looked away. "So what?!"

"So you no can say that she not try to help you."

I winced and realized that I was staring at the pink hat I had taken. The pink hat that the strange human was making me return. And while I was returning it she had fed me… Which had been why I had taken it. I hadn't eaten in so long. And the hat was a valuable human relic - selling it would've kept me fed for months. My guts squirmed with guilt.

"Think bad things, do bad things, become bad thing," Gigasmon said. "But not too late. Can still become good thing. Think good things, do good things."

I just kept staring at the hat in my hand as I teetered between my two choices. "But… how?"

~Your POV~

" **Jurassic Talon!** " You darted over Mammothmon's back and slammed your glowing claws into his flank. He trumpeted in pain and to your surprise he suddenly jumped sideways and smashed you into one of the solid buildings. "Gah!"

That had really hurt. As Mammothmon's hairy weight withdrew you couldn't get your wings to coordinate and you fell to the street. And when you tried to get back to your feet and into the air again Mammothmon slapped you with his trunk and sent you sprawling. And as your eyes cracked open once more you saw Mammothmon poised to stomp down onto you.

'No!' you thought. 'No!'

" **Garuru Tomahawk!** "

A missile exploded against Mammothmon's side and sent him flying away from you with a bellow. As he crashed to the ground raising a cloud of dust, a large metal wolf landed beside you.

"Grar!" it roared. "I'll rescue you, human! And then we'll be even!"

"Thanks, but… Who are you?"

"I was BlackGabumon," it said. "But with the spirit's power I digivolved to BlackMetalGarurumon!"

"BlackGabumon? That's you?" Then you registered the rest of his statement. "Spirit?!"

"Yes. Here." BlackMetalGarurumon opened his mouth wide and a glowing orb appeared just in front of his teeth. And in front of the orb appeared a soul.

"Human girl. Me Gigasmon, Beast Warrior of Earth," he announced. "Take my spirit and evolve. You will have strength to beat Mammothmon."

"Gigasmon," you murmured.

You reached out your clawed wing-arm and claimed the new beast spirit. The new energy surged up your arm and into your heart and you seized it.

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Gaiamon!"

You had never become two different beasts in one day before. You were pretty sure that you were going to be paying for it later. But for now you simply reveled in the new power.

You were a much larger beast than Archaeoptermon had been. Rather than wings your front limbs were muscular arms and you were covered in stiff plate-like scales with the consistency of bone. Spikes protruded from your joints and you felt like a great mass of muscle and armor.

Your jaws cracked open and a tremendous rumble escaped them.

"Woah!" BlackMetalGarurumon yelped. As you swung your head to look at him he backed up a step. "That's some growth spurt!"

Slowly you tipped forward and dropped to all fours like a gorilla, your weight causing the ground to shake in a mini-earthquake. You took a breath and instantly you were aware of the soil and rock all around you, including the stone blocks composing some of the buildings. The soil buzzed faintly, the solid rock hummed monotonously, and the deposits of metallic ore far below the surface rang like distant bells. You could smell the differences between them too and it gave you an extremely detailed mental image of where everything was around you.

Then you heard an angry trumpet and you swung your head around to the other side in time to see Mammothmon charging out of a heap of debris. He rushed at you with his head lowered to ram you.

" **Metal Slamming Attack!** " BlackMetalGarurumon leapt nimbly past you and headbutted Mammothmon - the great beast was thrown backwards again and skidded unsteadily to a stop.

BlackMetalGarurumon snarled and you saw various panels all over his body open up revealing pointed missiles. They began to smoke in preparation to launch.

"Wait," you rumbled. "I've got this."

You thundered past him, less nimbly but just as fast, and seized Mammothmon before he could react to your approach. Now that you were his equal in size you could face him squarely. With one big hand you grabbed his tusk and with the other you reached under his stomach and lifted him up off the ground.

Mammothmon freaked, lashing out with all four legs, but he was held helpless in the air. You roared and with one mighty burst of energy you slammed him into the ground. The soil and rock below buckled up and some nearby buildings that had escaped destruction collapsed from the shockwave.

You held him down, taking advantage of his stunned state, and tried to adopt a soothing tone. "Stay calm, Mammothmon. Now tell us what is wrong."

Mammothmon stirred and you tensed up but he stayed still. "I - I'm lost," he whimpered. "I'm scared!"

You were dumbfounded. "You did all this… just because you were lost?!"

"Oh for corn's sake!" BlackMetalGarurumon growled. "Let me just blast him!"

"No!" you barked. "I know where the rest are. I'll take him back to them."

"Ugh." Surprisingly BlackMetalGarurumon closed his weapons panels and stood down.

"I'll take you back to the others, Mammothmon," you said. "But stop running amok. Okay?"

"Okay." You let Mammothmon up and he stood quietly next to you as you de-evolved. At the same time light and data surrounded BlackMetalGarurumon and he reverted to his original tiny form.

"I guess I'll take him home," you said. Then you paused and stared at BlackGabumon. "And then that leaves you and the hat."

"Hmph." BlackGabumon looked away from you. "It's not like I can return it now. The hat is fine but the store was destroyed!"

"Oh, beans!"

"Well! I suppose I could stay and help them rebuild," BlackGabumon muttered. "To make up for stealing. And maybe they'll feed me so I won't need the hat anymore."

"I think that's a good idea." You wondered what had happened to BlackGabumon to change his attitude so much.


	46. Chapter 46: The Defeat of the Warriors

Chapter 46: The Defeat of the Warriors

 **[A/N: Hey everyone, thanks for reading! Sorry for the delay in posting but I've been moving for the last month and literally got my internet set up last week. Posting should be getting back to normal soon so look forward to it! :)]**

~Kouji POV~

"This is it."

My D-Tector had led us through what felt like an endless maze of cave tunnels until we'd finally come upon a pool of deep water. Not quite what I was expecting but whatever. And from the depths shone a brilliant light - Lobomon's light.

"Sheesh, it's about time!"

"Shut it, Takuya!" Honestly, it was like he hadn't matured at all in the last ten years. "I'll dive in and get Lobomon's spirit. Then we can move on."

"Well, hurry it up," Takuya said, still wearing his same stupid expression. "We're kinda trying to save the world here!"

"I said put a cork in it!"

"Knock it off, you two!" Izumi snapped. "We're wasting time when we should be looking for Ally!"

"Okay, okay," Takuya grumbled. Finally the idiot was getting it.

Not that it mattered to me whether we rushed to go back to looking for Ally. Sure, everyone seemed to like her and she wasn't evil - at least not the way that Cherubimon and Lucemon had been evil - but she was so reckless and selfish. She was like Takuya had been before this world knocked some sense into him. And it wasn't just because she had ditched Kouichi before. After all, I'm not so petty as to hold a grudge against her for that (as unforgivable as it had been).

Enough. I was going to upset my stomach if I kept dwelling on the past like this. I had to focus. Regardless if we found Ally again, we had a world to save. Even if I had to save it by myself.

I kicked off my shoes and took off my jacket. Since Lobomon's spirit wasn't coming to me I'd have to go to him.

~Kouichi POV~

Something was wrong. I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but I knew there was something bothering Kouji. Call it a twin thing.

And there was something else too. I was having my own bad feeling about our situation. It was nothing definite that I could put my finger on… Something about the fang-like stalactites looming over our heads and the inky-black pool of water, the edges of which were untouched by Lobomon's beam of light. And Kouji was climbing into that pool, into the heart of that darkness. All I could do was watch and wait though.

It was very stressful, those few moments when Kouji was submerged in that still pool. My heart was hammering and I flinched each time that bubbles rose up to the surface. Then the spirit's light vanished and my heart stopped.

But in seconds Kouji resurfaced and there was no sign of anything being wrong. "I've got him!" he announced and he began swimming over to us as the others cheered.

"It's about time!" Takuya called and secretly I agreed with him. I didn't want to be here a single second longer than necessary.

Then Kouji reached the side and the pool of water exploded.

At first I thought that Takuya had finally pushed Kouji too far or that Kouji somehow knew that I thought he was taking too long. But the guilt quickly passed when I saw that Kouji had been thrown out of the water and there was something hulking and dark rising up from where the light had been emanating before.

"Hello, children from another world!" the shape said. "It's been a long time! Miss me?"

It was some kind of Digimon that had appeared, a big dark monster with fangs and evil eyes set in a long narrow face. Clawed tentacles arched forward above its head and a tattered cape fluttered behind it.

"KYAAAAAA!" Bokomon shrieked. "IT'S MARINEDEVIMON! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

"Who?" Neemon asked.

Then with a motion so fast it was a blur, MarineDevimon appeared behind us blocking the exit. He was so close his tentacles and claws were nearly hanging over us.

"I'm sorry I asked!" Neemon wailed and Bokomon snapped his waistband.

"Now, now, children!" MarineDevimon hissed. "Is that any way to greet me when it's been so long since we've seen each other?"

"What do you mean?" Takuya demanded. "We've never met you before!"

"Yeah, I'd remember a mug like that!" Junpei added.

"I've seen things like that in my nightmares," Tomoki mumbled under his breath.

But I disagreed. "I think we have met him before," I said. "A long time ago…"

"Yeah," Izumi said thoughtfully. "I think so too. But who…?"

"Aw, now you've hurt my feelings!" MarineDevimon cried. "Well, I'll just have to remind you! **Evil Wind!** "

A gust of dark-tinted wind slammed into us and we were all knocked to the ground. Except for Bokomon and Neemon who were blown up towards the shadowy cave ceiling.

"Okay, then if that's how you want it!" Takuya growled.

"BEAST SPIRIT EVOLUTION! BurningGreymon!"

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Loweemon!" "Kumamon!" "Kazemon!" "Lobomon!" "Beetlemon!"

"Get ready to feel the burn!" BurningGreymon shouted. " **Corona-!** "

"Wait, Takuya!" Kazemon squealed. "We're in too close, you'll blast all of us!"

Immediately I saw her point. We were all crowded together on the narrow ledge beside the water with Takuya taking up the most room. If he moved, let alone attacked, we'd all probably get knocked in.

"What?" BurningGreymon turned towards Kazemon and immediately Kouji and I were pushed off the rocky shelf and landed with a splash.

"Takuya!" I heard Izumi scold when I resurfaced.

"Sorry!"

"Baka!" Kouji shouted.

"Hey, I said I was sorry!"

"Ahahahaha!" MarineDevimon cackled. "You kids are as funny as ever! Too bad it isn't time to be laughing!"

He lunged forward and grabbed BurningGreymon with his clawed hands and tentacles. The two of them were the same size and by catching BurningGreymon off-guard MarineDevimon got the upper hand. He dove into the pitch-black water, dragging BurningGreymon with him.

Lobomon and I climbed out and stared helplessly at the water's surface with the others.

~Takuya POV~

'Damn! How could I let this happen?!'

That creepy-looking weirdo had managed a sneak attack and pulled me underwater. And every idiot knew that fire was no good underwater!

"Hahahaha!" As the eerie laugh echoed in the water I felt tentacles wrap around my armored limbs and wings. "Nothing personal, Flame Warrior. I'm just doing my job!"

Suddenly there was a bolt of pain in my midsection and I roared and thrashed to get free. But even though I could feel the restraints on my arms and legs, I couldn't manage to make contact to break loose. It was as if the water itself was tying me up.

Pain erupted in my shoulder and then in both my legs, always in the exposed spots where my armor joined together. And the pressure on my wings was so great, it felt like they were made of lead.

"Forget victory. Abandon escape. You will die here and the dark waters will consume you, body and soul."

'Never! I'll never surrender!' Even if I could barely move, I'd think of something!

Then MarineDevimon's red eyes and white fangs appeared in the gloom in front of me. "And that succulent, delicious human data will be mine…"

That was when it clicked - I remembered where we'd met MarineDevimon before! And that remembering convinced me that we could win this fight.

" **FLAME STORM!** "

I mustered up every bit of energy I had left to summon my flames. I vaporized the water around me - anything caught in that would've been steamed like a veggie. And like I expected, the bindings around me fell away instantly. I shot up to the cave roof and hovered over what was now just a smoking hole in the earth.

"Takuya!"

"I know who he is!" I yelled to the others, lost in the billowing steam I'd created. "It's IceDevimon!"

They gasped and then predictably I heard low, amused laughter again. "So, you finally remembered me. I knew you would if I gave you enough delicious pain."

"Stay on guard, everyone!" I called.

"Pain always forms the best memories, don't you agree?" The voice had jumped; now it was coming from far to one side and behind me. "Love and joy may fade but pain remains eternally fresh in the mind."

"Oh, now I remember this weirdo!" Izumi groaned.

Kouichi spoke next. "But how is it possible? I defeated him and purified his data years ago!"

"Oh, but pain never dies." Now the voice was coming from everywhere. "Allow me to demonstrate!"

Suddenly a shadow detached from the wall and flew through the steam towards the others. " **Evil Wind!** "

The attack engulfed the other warriors and they cried out in fear and pain. I quickly swooped down and aimed the guns on my forearms. " **Corona Blaster!** "

The bullets of flame struck the rock and ricocheted as I tightened up my aim. But MarineDevimon was fast - hardly more than a shadow in the vapor he stayed one step ahead as I swept my fire in a great arc.

" **Dark Deluge!** " From directly below me black liquid gushed up like a geyser. I saw it just in time to dodge away - but my evasion brought me right into MarineDevimon's grasping tentacles.

"No!" I bellowed and tried to stop but he grabbed me and pounded me against the wall with a maniacal laugh.

" **Golden Thunder!** " A bolt of lightning cut between me and MarineDevimon and he vanished into the shadows again.

"Hey, Takky! You okay?!"

I was a little wobbly but I could still fly and fight. "I'm okay. Thanks Beetlemon!"

The two of us hovered back-to-back to keep an eye out for surprise attacks. "So what do we do?"

"I'm open to suggestions," I replied.

"I have one."

I reacted immediately to MarineDevimon's voice right behind my head. I spun around and fired but he was already gone. "Damn."

"DIE."

Again the tentacles grabbed me and threw me down so I crashed into rock which had once been at the bottom of the pool. Then, before I could recover, the **Dark Deluge** rained down upon me like a vile shower.

"AAARRRRRRRGHHH!"

~Kouichi POV~

"Takuya! **Golden Thunder!** "

Finally Junpei managed to land a hit on MarineDevimon! But it might as well have been a ball of paper for all the effect it had. Thick fog was still obscuring the cavern so I barely saw as a tentacle slapped Beetlemon away. The other tentacles were striking downward and Takuya cried out each time.

"We need to come up with a plan," I said to the others.

"But what can we do?" Kumamon asked. "He's too fast and too strong."

"It took JagerLoweemon to beat him last time," Lobomon said. "This time Takuya's the only one with a beast spirit and he's getting his ass handed to him."

"Well, we can't just stand here!"

"Maybe," Kazemon began, "if we all attack together we could draw his attention away from Takuya. Then we could attack from all sides and I'm sure we'll win!"

We all exchanged glances. "I can't think of anything better," Lobomon admitted. "Let's do it."

We lined up and I took position beside Kouji. I didn't know if I could do much to protect him but I had to try.

" **Brezza Petalo!** "

" **Golden Thunder!** "

" **Snow Bomber!** "

" **Licht Kougel!** "

" **Endlich Meteor!** "

Our attacks were all on target and they struck MarineDevimon with an explosion to raise a cloud of smoke. Then tentacles all withdrew into the smoke and with our enemy hidden we all tensed for a fight.

For an instant I saw red eyes glaring out at us and then MarineDevimon charged. He was so fast we had no chance to dodge - he grabbed us each with a tentacle and pinned us to the floor.

"Truly you are amateurs at dealing pain," he chuckled. "The tastiest pain is a prolonged agony. Like this!"

He pressed down on us and even with my armor I could still feel the pressure. It was torture trying to draw a breath and I could hear the others gasping desperately.

"Hahahaha! Feel the pain in your bones! In your skin! Rejoice as the glorious pain tears you apart from the inside out!" he howled.

Then the steam behind him started to glow. He didn't seem to notice as it grew brighter and brighter but when I saw BurningGreymon's silhouette I knew what was coming.

" **Flame Storm!** "

A wave of fire crashed down onto MarineDevimon and engulfed him in an inferno. Fortunately for us, being pinned down like we were kept us out of the line of fire - literally. The flames swept past over us, a wall of destruction. When it passed, the tentacles lifted up and we freed ourselves.

"Not bad," MarineDevimon muttered as we got some distance. "Not bad at all. You understand pain."

"Enough with the pain already!" Kazemon snapped.

"Tell us how you came back!" I demanded.

MarineDevimon tried to lift his smoking, half-burned tentacles but they barely moved. "Damn. My master will be furious. I have failed him."

"Your master? Who's your master?"

"A true master of pain!" MarineDevimon laughed. "Do you think me a monster?! I am no more than a mote of dust in my master's eye! He is pain, loathing, fear - all of those delightful things that you humans don't appreciate!"

"This guy keeps getting creepier."

"Beware ye fools for he is coming! He is coming and this world shall be turned to ash!"

As the echoes of his shout died away the rock around us began to tremble and shake. An earthquake?!

"Master!" MarineDevimon cried joyfully.

"Uh oh." We all bunched together and waited.

It didn't take long. Like toothpaste being squeezed from a tube, an oily black something emerged from a hole in the air itself. The mass gathered and floated ominously above the pit in the rock. The steam, which had still been thick in the air, recoiled from the thing as if in horror, and the air cooled until it was the temperature of a freezer. Heavy breathing was all around us and I could see the thing's sides pulsing and quivering.

Then, as if being poured into a mold, the mass began to spread and take shape. A blocky head sprouted from from a short neck and long limbs depended from its underside. A thin tail whipped back and forth, cracking like dry branches, and shadowy nebulous wings rose from its back.

Its eyes opened and in them I saw eternity.

"Still…" it growled. "Still I cannot fully manifest in this world!"

"My humblest apologies, Master!" MarineDevimon said. "I was going to ambush the girl when she came seeking the Spirit of Light so that I might deliver her to you. But instead these others came and I fought with them."

"And lost!"

"Yes, Master. I failed you."

"I do not tolerate failure!" Suddenly a black clawed limb shot out and grabbed MarineDevimon about the neck. "As long as the girl and her spirits live in this world I cannot enter it! But there is still one way you can serve me."

The claws tightened and MarineDevimon dissolved into data. That data flowed into the monster and I saw its form solidify a little and I heard the faint sound of a heartbeat.

"He is of far more use to me in death than in life." Those bottomless eyes then fixated on us. "Now for you.

"Children of the world of Man, I offer you this one chance. Surrender to me your spirits and I shall allow you to return to your world to await its destruction at a later time. Refuse me, and you will be obliterated with this one."

"Save your breath!" BurningGreymon shouted. "We're not handing them over to you or anyone else!"

All together we attacked but I'd already begun to doubt our chances. And that doubt proved correct when all of our attacks passed through the beast and struck the far side of the cave.

With a single roar in response the monster knocked us all to the ground senseless. "Foolish insects, that was your only chance! Prepare to face the consequences the next time we meet!

"For now I shall scatter you to the winds! Then I can pick you off at my leisure and make you suffer!"

The last thing I saw before I passed out was a hole opening over Kouji. And I knew we had lost.


	47. Chapter 47: Long Mon Silver Returns! Pt1

Chapter 47: Long Mon Silver Returns! Part 1

Leaning as far out of the Trailmon window as you could, you took it all in: the brilliant sunshine, the salty spray of the ocean, and the squeals of seagulls as they swooped past. Warm, tropical air roared in your ears and the brilliant blue ocean stretched to the horizon in all directions.

"Now this is more like it!" you cheered to the sky.

"You can say that again, sugah!" Ranamon said. The Water Warrior was also leaning out of a window behind you to embrace the delightful wind.

"We're approaching the tropics," Wyvernmon chimed in. Her soul, far too large to fit in the car with you and the Human Spirits, was soaring alongside the train tracks. "It's a nice change from the polar tundra, eh?"

"And from winter in my world too," you said with a shiver. "I didn't tell you all before but we've had tons of snow and ice where I'm from. I don't think I've been warm, truly warm, for two months."

"You can't possibly still be cold now!" Agunimon said.

"Ah, I think my bones are starting to thaw out finally."

"Let us know when your brain thaws too," Mercurymon sniffed.

"Oh, Mercurymon!" you laughed. "Doesn't the sunshine cheer you up at all? Smile! Laugh! Or at least don't glower!"

"And watch where you point your face!" Agunimon griped. "You're going to burn out someone's retinas!"

You giggled and brushed back your bangs as the Trailmon clattered along the tracks. Then you sensed Dramon poke her head out the window in front of you.

"You're sure in a good mood today, Ally."

"And why not? Only a nut couldn't enjoy such a warm, sunny day!" you replied.

"Not to be a wet blanket on your enjoyment," Wyvernmon said. "However you need to stay focused. Our enemy could be anywhere."

"Okay, focused. Focused!" you said seriously.

"Woo woo!" Trailmon whistled. "This stop, Toucan Paradise! Toucan Paradise Beach Resort!"

You gasped excitedly. "Beach Resort?!"

"Beans!" Wyvernmon grumbled.

~Junpei POV~

I came to floating in the middle of the ocean; luckily I had somehow managed to get hold of a big piece of driftwood so I didn't sink into the depths. Instead I was just bobbing aimlessly along on the swells of turquoise.

"Oh, this is bad," I muttered. "Very bad."

I tried to pull myself up on top of the log to get a look around - there had to be land nearby somewhere! - and I almost slipped off completely. After splashing and spluttering for a bit I wound up in the exact same position as when I had started.

"Ugh," I groaned. The sun was bright and hot but the water was like liquid ice. It was rather rough on… certain sensitive parts of me.

"What the heck'm I gonna do?!" I couldn't even evolve and fly for land since I had no idea which direction to go!

Then I saw a sight which made my blood run cold - something like a dozen blue-gray fins slicing towards me through the water. All headed towards me! Sharks!

There was more thrashing and splashing as I grabbed for my D-Tector but then the fins were upon me. I braced myself, expecting to feel sharp teeth at any second.

But instead of seeing a dozen grinning carnivorous faces and about ten million jagged teeth aimed at me, there were instead a dozen grinning bottle-noses facing my way. Dolphmon!

"Hello, human!" one said. "You're a long way from shore!"

"Are you trying to row around the world on that little log?" asked another.

"How silly!" cackled a third. "Humans are so silly!"

"I'm not trying to row around the world!" I replied.

"Oh? Why not?"

I sighed. It was like talking to five-year-olds. Or Ally on one of her obnoxious days.

"Well, if you're not trying to row around the world, do you need a lift to the island nearby? It'll take you a long time to get there on just a log."

"Oh, thank God! There's and island nearby?!" I cried.

"Yes! Toucan Island!"

"… Did you just say 'toucan island'?"

"Yes!"

"Beans!" I had been transported all the way to the tropics by that shadowy thing! And all in just - well, I didn't know how long it'd been, but I wasn't shark-food so it couldn't have been too long.

Questions flew through my mind. Where were the others? Around here? But no, that monster had said something about scattering us. So where had they ended up?

Well, I knew where to start looking. "Please take me to the island, Dolphmon. It's very important."

"Okay! Let's race there!"

~Your POV~

"Hellz yeah! Beach resort, baby!" you cheered. "It's my mid-winter dream come-true!"

"Are you going to make us lecture you again?" Dramon sighed.

"I know, I know! But can't you guys just give me two hours? Two little hours to enjoy some sunshine?" you begged. "It feels like I've been in winter forever!"

Before any of your companion spirits could answer, the Trailmon you were riding on whistled and and slowed to a stop at a simple train platform. "We're here!" he announced.

You flew to the nearest door. "BEEEEEEEEEACHHHHH!"

"The Digiworld is doomed," Mercurymon sighed.

You barely heard him as you were already outside and the sight of the beautiful white beaches drove everything else out of your head. You had once seen beaches like these before; as a young girl your mom had taken you and your sister on a vacation to a tiny island in the Florida Keys. The shore there had been just like this - white, long, and with tiny waves lapping at the sand. And the water was crystal clear, more like a filled bathtub than the vast ocean. Even at that tender age you had been awestruck and captivated by the serene beauty of the island and leaving had nearly broken your heart.

This island was surprisingly similar. The train station was nothing more than a concrete shelf lined with benches and covered by a tin roof and the pathways leading around the various buildings were made of crushed shells and coral bleached white by the sun. Palm trees swayed in the humid salty breezes and from somewhere in the distance you heard the gentle ring of wind chimes.

"Wow…" you breathed. "It's beautiful."

"Yes, it's lovely," Dramon said as she stopped beside you. "Which is why we're pushing you so hard. The world is full of beautiful spots like this that will cease to be if our foe succeeds. So far, remoteness has kept this paradise safe but it can't last forever."

You remembered that time on the Trailmon with Kouichi - though it felt like twenty years ago - when you had seen the land torn up and mangled by corrupted data. It hadn't seemed real to you, like passing a burned-out house on your street. And to think that could happen here…

"Yeah, I get it," you mumbled. "I can't just think about myself. The whole world is relying on me."

You were a little ashamed of yourself. How many places like this might be destroyed because you had dawdled here on the beach?

"I guess I should hop back on the Trailmon," you commented.

"Not just yet," Agunimon said. "We've got ten minutes. Let's check around and see if the other Digidestined are here."

"Good call," Zephyrmon said.

"And you can enjoy the sun while we look," Mercurymon said. "That should be enough for you."

"Yeah," you said. "And hey! Maybe we can come back once the world is safe again!"

"Very true!" Wyvernmon chuckled. "The Digital World is a weird, wonderful place when it's not being threatened by some lunatic."

Suddenly there was a sound, like a gunshot in the distance, and both you and your spirits stood up straighter and stared in the direction it seemed to have come from. Whatever peace you had been feeling was gone now.

You grabbed your D-Tector and started towards the gate to the biggest building, presumably the main administration building, where the sound had come from. But just as you took your third step, two strange birds came rushing through the gate, screeching with terror. They plowed into you and sent you flying backwards onto your back.

"Help, help!" they cried. "Save us!"

"Ack! What?!" you spluttered. "What's going on?!"

"Pirates!" one cried. "Pirates are attacking us!"

"Please save us!" the other wailed. "You look like a strong human!"

"Pirates!" you gasped. "Really real pirates?!"

"Yes! They captured two of our friends but we got away to get help! You're the only one we could find!"

"Please help us! We Toucanmon are too weak to fight back!"

"Okay!" you replied. "I can handle some pirates! Tell me where they are and I'll go put a stop to them!"

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" the two Toucanmon sobbed in tandem. "They're in the main building, where we just came from!"

"Got it!" You ran through the gate in the wooden fence and found yourself in a courtyard covered in scrubby grass sprouting out of sandy soil. The courtyard surrounded a central building painted in light tropical colors with a wide airy verandah running around its perimeter. It all looked perfectly normal at first glance until you took a closer look at the main entrance - the door had been ripped off its hinges and there were scorch marks on the frame.

Then your heart nearly stopped when you noticed a figure standing on the verandah! Instinctively you dove for cover behind the nearest thing you could find - which just so happened to be a spiny, prickly scrub bush.

'Shit! Did they see me?!' Ignoring the prickles digging into your fingers and bare arms you pushed a couple of branches aside to get a better look at the figure in the shadows.

You were in for another shock - the figure there was Biyomon, from the desert boat races! She was still wearing her team's armband and seemed to be staring worriedly into the darkness of the building.

"Hey!" you shouted as you popped up out of the bush. "Hey you!"

"Eep!" Biyomon squeaked. She jumped and stared hard at you. "Wait, are you…?"

You stomped up the path towards the little Digimon. "Don't tell me that it's your boat team involved in this!"

"Oh, oh!" Biyomon whimpered. "This is bad. This is very, very bad! Hookmon will be furious with me!"

"Grrr… I should've known he'd be involved in this!" you growled. "Tell me where he is right now!"

"Um, um…"

" **Tropical Beak!** "

The shout from behind startled you and that flinch of surprise kept you from being impaled on Muchomon's beak as he attacked. He flew past you and as he struck the steps to the building they exploded into splinters.

"Get lost, human!" he shouted at you. "This is none of your concern!"

"Well, I'm about to make it my concern!" you spat back. You pulled you D-Tector from your pocket and held it up.

Muchomon's eyes narrowed when he saw it. "Biyomon," he muttered, "go get the others fast."

"But Muchomon -"

"Do it, now!"

"O-Okay!" Biyomon turned and ran into the shadows of the main building before you could intervene.

You had more pressing concerns though: Muchomon was squaring up to attack you again. You quickly called up your spirits, ready for battle.

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Dramon!"


	48. Chapter 48: Long Mon Silver Returns! Pt2

Chapter 48: Long Mon Silver Returns! Part 2

" **Tropical Beak!** " Muchomon rushed at you as if to impale you with his long beak. It was shocking to you that such a squat Digimon could move so fast.

By pure instinct you raised your right hand up to block and Muchomon's beak struck the thick armor. The clang resounded with the force of a gunshot in the large courtyard. Then you threw him aside and with a flutter of your armored wings you took to the air.

"How cowardly!" he snapped. "Come down and fight!"

"My pleasure!" you roared and you rolled forward into a dive. " **Spirit Flame!** "

The golden flames erupted from your mouth and streamed at Muchomon, who dodged at the last moment. Then as you swopped to the side he used the opening to attack back.

" **Red Hot Flare!** " A bolt of red fire burst from his mouth and scorched across your back.

"Gack!" you hissed. Then you snarled and turned back to face him. " **Spirit Flame!** "

Your flames crashed down like a wave but again Muchomon dodged them. You only managed to singe his tail feathers as he leapt aside.

"Itai!" he shouted. "You'll pay for that! **Red Hot Flare!** "

" **Spirit Claw!** " You sliced through the red fire and continued to dive onto him like a striking eagle. " **Spirit Flame!** "

Muchomon dodged again but you'd known he would and at the last second you adjusted your aim. Your conflagration wrapped around him in a tight ball and began to pull his data loose.

"Vicious pirate of land and sea," you intoned as you landed, "be purified by my Soul!"

His data whined as you scanned it with your D-Tector, almost as if it was trying to resist, and after a moment of hovering his egg floated serenely up into the sky.

"Watch out, kid!" Arbormon suddenly shouted from behind you. "We've got more company, right!"

" **Electric Thread!** "

" **Sunshine Beam!** "

You narrowly avoided being struck by the line of electricity and the ray of light from your new foes. It was a tiny yellow catepillar-like Digimon and a larger plant Digimon with a sunflower for its head. But as you turned around and braced for a follow-up attack, the two newcomers moved quickly to take positions on either side of you.

"Very clever," Mercurymon chuckled. "While we defend against one, our back is open to the other."

"Luckily that's exactly what you're best for," Agunimon quipped.

"It would be my pleasure to teach these ruffians some manners! Shall we, Ally?"

"Absolutely! ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Mercurydramon!"

You faced the sunflower Digimon as he felt like the bigger threat, but at the same time you pulled back your shoulder so that your arm and its shield covered your back. Not only did it protect you from ambush but it let Mercurymon keep an eye on your other opponent.

" **Sunshine Beam!** " The ray of sizzling white light shot at your face and instantly you raised your shield to block it. You expected the beam to be reflected or at least to feel the impact as it struck you, but to your surprise it was simply swallowed up and vanished.

"Keep your guard up!" Mercurymon ordered and you snapped out of your surprise.

" **Electric Thread!** " you heard behind you. Just like before you lifted your shield to absorb the blow and were far less surprised when this one disappeared into your mirror.

You felt energy building inside you and you focused it in preparation to counterattack. You lifted your shields up to eye level.

" **Generous Mirror!** "

From both of your mirrors came bolts of violent energy to strike the two Digimon. They were thrown across the yard and you lunged after the sunflower Digimon.

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Agunidramon!"

While the plant Digimon was still in midair you hit it with a flaming punch. Then you immediately followed up with a burst of flames. " **Salamander Break!** "

You directed the flames with a kick to its midsection and there was a deafening blast. The smoke gathered in a cloud around you and Sunflomon's ring of data appeared.

"Don't forget the other one," Zephyrmon said.

"I'm on it!" You turned and ran straight for Kunemon with white-hot sparks cascading from the gaps in your armor. " **Fire Darts!** "

While you had been dealing with Sunflomon, Kunemon had recovered his footing but your tiny darts of fire threw him off-balance again. You rushed at him like the eruption of a volcano, cloaked in an inferno.

" **Burning Salamander!** " The fire from your fists flew at Kunemon and he was swallowed up. Then his data appeared and you moved closer to scan it.

"Be purified by my Soul!"

But as the light from his data vanished into your D-Tector you suddenly saw a glint of light from behind you. You could just make out the source from the corner of your eye - it was a knife! It was swinging in a wide arc directly towards your neck, far too fast for you to dodge. The souls of the other Legendary Warriors were shouting something at you but in your fear you couldn't make it out.

'Help!' you shrieked inside your mind. 'Help, help, help!'

" **Golden Thunder!** "

Raw lightning seared your retinas as it arced past and struck the knife threatening you. The massive concussive blast blew your hair to the side and when your senses cleared again, you saw that the knife was gone. In its place was a very familiar blue shell guarding your back.

"Ally! Ally, is that you?!"

"Junpei!" You'd never been so happy to see anyone before in your life! "Thanks, you saved my neck! Literally!"

You turned around and saw that, as you'd suspected, it had been Dinohumon wielding the enormous knife. Beetlemon's attack had thrown him aside and knocked the weapon from his hand, but he was already climbing back to his feet with another blade in-hand.

"Your neck isn't safe yet," he growled. Then he leaped at you.

Beetlemon charged to intercept as you darted into the air. But Dinohumon ignored Beetlemon and jumped, drawing back to hack at you.

" **Burning Salamander!** "

" **Lizard Dance!** "

The lizard Digimon easily sliced apart your fire projectiles and Beetlemon had to save you again. It was apparent to you that fire might not be the best element to use in this fight.

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Arbordramon!"

You'd only taken the Wood form a few times and you'd never fought using it, but Arbormon had told you that when it came to hand-to-hand combat he was one of the best. Surprisingly the Wood armor was even heavier than the Steel armor - apparently it was thicker and made of ironwood, a type of wood so dense that it was tougher than most metals!

"You won't be runnin' any races," Arbormon had explained one evening, "but a bomb could go off and you'd be fine, right."

Aside from the element and the weight there was only one other fascinating difference about this armor. The hands and feet could detach at the forearm and calf and you could operate them at a distance via vine-like cables. You immediately saw the usefulness of these given the lack of swift mobility of the rest of your body.

"Beetlemon!" you rumbled. "Get high and get ready!"

"Okay!" He took a position above you and to one side, ready to intervene if your fight went bad.

"Okay, Knife Boy!" you shouted. "Let's dance!"

Dinohumon lunged at you, his large knife slicing the air with a menacing whistle. You couldn't possibly dodge in time, not with the two tons of ironwood covering you from head to toe. Luckily dodging wasn't your plan.

The weapon connected with your forearm as you blocked and made a dull thunk. You saw Dinohumon's eyes widen as he realized that he hadn't even chipped your armor, exactly as you'd predicted. He kicked your midsection to get loose but he was too slow.

" **Machinegun Dance!** " With one extendable fist you punched and Dinohumon raised his knife to block. At the last second though you opened your fist and grabbed the blade, pulling on it to keep him close. You kicked before he could recover his balance but missed, your razor-sharp wooden claws just skimming his scales.

Dinohumon threw your hand off of his weapon and then looked up, probably expecting Beetlemon to press the offensive. But that was a fatal mistake - you had one last trick for just this battle opportunity.

With his attention on the sky, you knelt and shot a hand out towards his ankle. Once you'd grabbed it you yanked as hard as you could, tearing his feet out from under him and sending him down hard onto his back.

"NOW!" you shouted.

" **Thor Hammer!** " Lightning tumbled down onto Dinohumon, drawn to his metal blades, and exploded with a mighty thunderclap. On the other hand, you were left untouched, what with being wooden and all.

You sighed gratefully as Dinohumon's data appeared and Beetlemon floated down to scan it. Those battles had been tough and you desperately needed to de-evolve and catch your breath.

Once human, you collapsed onto your butt in the churned-up sand and focused solely on breathing for what felt like an hour. But when you opened your eyes again and saw Junpei emerge from Beetlemon's data, you felt a renewed rush of energy and you hopped back onto your feet.

You took three running steps to tackle him, grabbing him into the biggest, happiest, sandiest hug of your life.


	49. Chapter 49: Bullets and Blades

Chapter 49: Bullets and Blades

~Junpei POV~

I got a surprise after I landed and de-evolved. From out of nowhere Ally tackled me and started squeezing!

At first I thought she was just being her usual self and teasing me so I tried to pull her loose. "Quit it, Ally! You're gonna snap me in half!"

"That's cuz I missed you, you big idiot!" she barked and her grip tightened.

For a second I thought she might be crying. But no, Ally didn't cry. It was impossible.

I started hugging her back awkwardly but she jumped away as if an electric current had gone through her. "Oh, Junpei!" she cried. "So much crazy stuff happened! I've gotta tell you about it all!"

Her eyes were bright but dry. Of course she wasn't crying, what had I been thinking? "A lot happened to all of us, I think. Have you seen anyone else?"

"No, just you. Why? Is something wro-"

Suddenly a massive explosion ripped apart the tranquility. The ground fractured in an instant and coated the two of us with sand and grit. At first I wasn't sure what was going on; the sand had gotten in my eyes and my ears were ringing. But I could feel Ally clinging to my arm with all her strength. Clearly we were in the middle of something going horribly wrong.

I sensed the dust and smoke clearing, slowly being blown aside by the gentle ocean breezes, to reveal an enormous monster. My heart stopped for an instant - was the Destruction Dragon back to finish me and Ally off?! Had I led him right to her?!

But I quickly realized that this creature wasn't the same one as before. It was as big as the shadowy dragon but it was completely solid and standing normally on the ground. Through the dust I could see orange scales and glowing red eyes; the face was covered in armor and from its back arched three long cannons. All three barrels were trained on us.

And on top of the beast's head stood a familiar figure. One we had encountered just days ago.

"Avast ye scurvy dogs!" it raged. "Finally, I shall have my revenge! Prepare to walk the plank!"

"Oh, crapballs!" Ally squeaked. "It's Hookmon!"

"And he brought along a VERY big friend!" I added.

"Cannondramon!" Hookmon swung his gun around and pointed it at us. "Ready! Aim!"

"RUN!" I bellowed. I grabbed Ally's hand, prepared to drag her away if necessary, but she was running along with me.

I was already planning my next move: as soon as the attack was over I'd Spirit Evolve and start the counterattack. We just had to avoid being hit long enough for me to do that. Hopefully that wasn't asking too much.

But instead of the blasts landing behind us, there were eruptions of flame and sand in front of us, blocking the way. My thoughts of Spirit Evolving on the run were blown up along with the courtyard as darts of molten glass sliced up my arms. Over the booms of the explosions I heard Ally coughing at my elbow and Cannondramon's snarls.

"You can't escape!" Hookmon shouted.

"I… think he's… right," Ally coughed to me. "Junpei, we've got to stand our ground. Let's evolve!"

I agreed completely. "Right! SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Beetlemon!"

"SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Dramon!"

Together Ally and I charged at Hookmon and Cannondramon, instinctively aiming for the fleshy parts of the larger Digimon. Not that it mattered to me - my electricity would do just as much damage to circuitry as to flesh. And I still owed Hookmon for kidnapping Ally before. If only I had my beast spirit; a blast in that form would be just what he deserved!

"Get ready to feel the thunder!" I roared. " **Golden Thunder!** "

" **Captain's Cannon!** " Hookmon aimed his musket at me and I saw the flash and burst of smoke from the muzzle as it fired.

Suddenly Dramon zipped past me and took to the air to intercept the attack. " **Spirit Claw!** "

Her claws met the bullet and it dissolved in a shower of data strips, leaving behind only the rushing air of its passage. As Dramon darted aside, my way was clear to counterattack. I slammed my fist into Cannondramon's lower jaw, throwing Hookmon loose and driving the enormous android Digimon back a step.

"Yeah!" I cheered. "Take that!"

~Your POV~

After helping Junpei get a shot in you pursued Hookmon who had fallen to the ground. The Thunder Warrior could handle the huge, nearly immobile Cannondramon who didn't seem to be able to launch his attacks quickly. The smaller, more limber Hookmon needed your special touch.

" **Spirit Flame!** " Your golden flames swept down towards him hungrily, spreading out to surround him.

But Hookmon wasn't just going to lie there and let you blast him. He dodged - barely - and leveled his musket at you. " **Captain's Cannon!** "

You dove abruptly to dodge and landed in a crouch on the ground before leaping at him in a renewed attack. But as your claws swung around at him he lifted his hooked hand to intercept your strike. Sparks flew as the metal connected.

"Hookmon!" you growled. "I should've known you'd be pirating on the sea as well as land! Why don't you just give up before I thrash you again?!"

Hookmon swung his musket like a bludgeon to get some distance from you. "Arr! Shut yer yap, woman! Ye an' yer blue bodyguard don't stand a chance against Cannondramon!"

" **Dynamo Cannon!** "

Cannondramon's blast missed Beetlemon and passed just over you and Hookmon. It hit the south corner of the courtyard and carved out a hole big enough for your house to fit into! And as trees toppled and the scorched earth sizzled and smoked from the heat, you heard the mechanical whine of Cannondramon's guns as they gathered energy for the next shot.

"See?!" Hookmon bellowed. "By the time he finishes with ye there won't even be enough left to throw to the sharks! And it doesn't matter if I'm around or not; he's got his orders and won't stop until he bombards ye into dust!"

But while he was bragging you quickly hatched a plan. "Then we'll just have to beat you both! **Spirit Claw!** "

Your claws struck his gun and passed through the solid metal as if it was nothing more than vapor. And as it dissolved, leaving Hookmon disarmed and empty-handed, you moved closer threateningly. But even if Hookmon was a jerk, he wasn't an idiot; he dodged swipes from your claws rather than trying to block and he feinted strikes at your face so you couldn't aim your flames.

"Give up and leave now!" he commanded as the tip of his hook grazed your nose. "Otherwise the two of ye are headed straight to Davie Jones' locker!"

"After you!" You jumped back, taking Hookmon by surprise. "Junpei!"

While the two of you had been grappling, Beetlemon had gotten Cannondramon turned around to face away from you - ergo, his guns were pointed away as well. With your constant presence attacking him, Hookmon hadn't noticed as his ultimate weapon was temporarily disabled, changing the fight to two-on-one. Divide and conquer, baby!

" **Thor Hammer!** " With a crunch and a blast like a cannon, Beetlemon's thunder-charged fists struck Hookmon directly on the top of the head.

"Aaaarrrrrrrgghhhhh!"

"You should already know this," Beetlemon said as Hookmon's fractal code appeared. "Dead men tell no tales!"

You were keeping a wary eye on Cannondramon as Beetlemon scanned the data into his D-Tector. "And they also don't shoot at us while we deal with this mutha," you added. "Head's up, he's turning around."

The movements were ponderously slow but clearly Cannondramon had figured out where you two were and he was bringing his considerable firepower to bear. His red eye remained fixed on you as he maneuvered his armored limbs.

"This one's tough," Beetlemon explained to you. "I don't know if he even felt my lightning attacks!"

"Then let's try attacking together!" you said. "ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Beetledramon!"

"Just watch out for those cannon blasts," Beetlemon said as your iridescent wings hummed to life.

"Understatement of the century." It wasn't like you'd forgotten that huge hole where the south corner had been.

" **Grenade Storm!** " Unexpectedly the air was filled with orbs of energy, fired with the rapidity of a machine gun. They formed a wall in the air, one you couldn't hope to dodge around in your heavy Thunder form. So you'd just have to go through it!

It seemed like Junpei had had the same idea because he stayed right by your side as you charged. " **Lightning Topper!** "

Together you burst through the barrage of energy bullets, setting up to attack Cannondramon directly. Beetlemon's solo attacks might've been too weak but the monster was sure to feel the impact with the two of you combined.

" **LIGHTNING TOPPER!** "

You and Beetlemon dug your horns into the base of Cannondramon's neck just above his chest armor. Thunder crashed and lightning flashed as Cannondramon reared back with a roar of pain. The two of you had done it!

Or not. You barely had time to stroke your ego before you noticed that in the process of rearing back, Cannondramon had brought the large-caliber gun on his chest to bear on you both. As you stared into its mouth, brilliantly glowing energy began to gather.

" **Dynamo Cannon!** " The energy beam engulfed you and Beetlemon, searing like acid against the parts of your body not protected by blue armor. It threw the both of you backwards and together you knocked out another huge chunk of the perimeter wall upon landing.

For a moment all you could do was lay there stunned under the rubble. It seemed like everything was still where it belonged but you were aching in places that you never knew existed. All from a single hit from the smallest gun.

Suddenly an enormous shadow loomed over you and your blood froze with terror. At this range Cannondramon couldn't possibly miss with his main cannons. Or maybe he'd save himself the effort of firing and just stomp you flat. You braced yourself for pain either way.

But then the shadow spoke in Wyvernmon's voice. "Back on your feet, Ally. We're not beaten just yet."

~Junpei POV~

I came to partly buried under the wall that I'd just involuntarily passed through. I pushed my way out, but it was harder than I expected. Not because the wall was heavy or anything, but it felt like my brain had gotten scrambled from the impact. I could also feel my energy flagging and as soon as I freed myself I de-digivolved from exhaustion.

But I couldn't just sit still - Ally had been caught in that blast too! No doubt she was buried like I'd been, and maybe hurt or even unconscious. And if she had de-digivolved while still under all those heavy rocks…

"Hey, Ally! Ally!" I scrambled out from under the remains of my pile and over to another hump of brick and mortar, presumably where Ally had landed. "Where are you?! Say something!"

Suddenly there was a burst of debris and Dramon's leg emerged from under the pile. I fell back and then the rest of Dramon appeared, sitting up in a daze.

"Ugh," she said. "I feel like I was hit by a bus." Then light and data surrounded her and Ally was left behind.

"We gotta do something!" I said. The smoke was hiding us from Cannondramon but he'd surely fire on us again. "I don't think that a Human Spirit can handle him. What we really need is a Beast Spirit!"

""OH!" Ally gasped. "I have one of those! I'm on it!"

I was baffled. "You what?!"

But Ally wasn't paying attention to me anymore. She pulled herself up onto her feet and brought her D-Tector out from her pocket with a fierce expression on her face. "Keep your head down," she muttered to me. "I'm still new at this.

"BEAST SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Wyvernmon!"

My first impression of Ally's Beast Spirit was of her size. She dwarfed even Cannondramon's bulk, her wings stretched wide to cover most of the sky overhead. Like Dramon she had green reptilian skin and was covered in golden armor. Her wings were like fans of sword blades and her legs were tipped with enormous hooked claws. On her head were two long horns curving backwards and a stubby spiral horn in the center of her forehead.

She arched her long armored neck to stare down menacingly at Cannondramon. "This is your only chance! Surrender now or be destroyed!"

That enormous form and those words… I had a flashback to the shadowy Destruction Dragon looming over us and saying nearly the same thing. A chill ran up my spine.

In response Cannondramon roared furiously and altered his aim. " **Dynamo Cannon!** "

The powerful bolts flew forth and struck Wyvernmon in the chest, enveloping her in smoke and sparks. She grunted and I briefly worried that she'd fall out of the sky. But when the smoke cleared I saw that she was unhurt and that the shots hadn't budged her an inch.

"Fine!" she snarled. "If that's how you want it!"

By now I'd retreated some distance away to take what cover I could under the palm trees still standing. I was still covered by the shadow of Wyvernmon's wings. But those shadows faded as the edges of her wing blades and claws began to glow.

Wyvernmon howled and the glow of her wings became blinding. " **Spirit Blade!** "

The light arced down to the ground like a bolt of lightning, swallowing up Cannondramon and most of the courtyard. Then, just as quickly, the light vanished and I saw its result. The courtyard and Cannondramon were both gone - in their place was a humming crater of exposed data that was quickly coming undone.

I jumped as someone screamed beside me. "Ahhh! Look at what you've done to our resort!"

It was two Toucanmon who'd also taken refuge away from the fight. "It's gone!" one wailed. "It's all gone!"

"Don't get your tail feathers ruffled!" Wyvernmon grumbled. "I was going to fix that next!"

She opened her mouth and red-gold fire collected. " **Spirit Inferno!** "

The fire poured out of her jaws, spreading out into the data as it broke loose from the ground. The fire became like a net, gathering the loosened data together and drawing it into a cloudlike stream around the horn in her forehead. Then she bent down and with a feather-light touch brushed the edge of the hole with the tip of her horn.

The shimmering flames spread out like a wave to cover the hole and then solidified, returning the courtyard to its pristine state before the fighting had started. Even the trees were back as if nothing had happened.

Then as I watched, a patch of data gathered into an egg, which hovered just above the ground before flying away.


	50. Chapter 50: Two in Paradise

Chapter 50: Two in Paradise

After restoring the courtyard with your **Spirit Inferno** you suddenly felt drained of energy. You dropped in midair and then fractal code surrounded you and you landed on your feet on the ground. Immediately your legs collapsed out from under you and you landed heavily on your backside.

"Ahaha!" you laughed. "That'll learn 'em!"

"Not bad," Mercurymon said as he and the other spirits appeared in a ring around you. "It almost looked like you knew what you were doing."

"Shut up, Mercurymon," Dramon replied.

"I think it was a great fight," Zephyrmon said. "You have a knack for handling your beast spirit, just like Izumi."

"What knack? I'm just lucky that I didn't blow everything up."

"That's the knack," Beetlemon chuckled.

You had just climbed back onto your feet when another wave of dizziness hit you and you staggered to one side. Luckily Arbormon was in that direction and he caught and steadied you.

"Hey kid," he said, "you ain't lookin' so hot. You oughtta lie down, right."

"It's weird," you said, "I feel so weak."

"Beast spirits take a lot of energy," Dramon explained. "Especially in battle. You'll need food and sleep before we can keep traveling."

"Hey," Ranamon suddenly spoke up, "do y'all hear that?"

You all quieted. You could hear the breezes rustling through the restored trees, wind chimes gaily tinkling on the verandah, and the jubilant shouts of the Toucanmon in the distance. But closer than all of that you heard a different kind of shouting.

"Is that a spirit?" you asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately no," Dramon said. "But it is someone that needs help."

"I don't think I have the energy to evolve again," you protested.

"You don't need to. Just follow us."

Your spirit companions scaled the stairs into the main resort building and you followed at a much slower pace. The exhaustion was making your limbs heavy and it was starting to invade your soul as well. You would need a good long sleep to regain your physical and mental motivation.

Once inside, the spirits led you down a side corridor that ended in a door. It was from here that the indistinct shouting emanated from. The only lock on the door was a chair pushed in front of it so you moved it, and as you reached for the knob the door flew open and two figures tumbled out.

It was the other Toucanmon! You had almost forgotten about them. They were bound with rope and cloth gags were wedged into their beaks to keep them silent. They rolled their eyes to look up at you, clearly afraid.

"Don't worry. I'm here to help," you said. You knelt and removed the gags and undid the ropes to free them.

"What about the pirates?!" one of them asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, we took care of them," you replied.

You smiled as the Toucanmon cheered together but as you stood the edges of your vision began to go black. You were quickly reaching the limit of your strength. The happy sounds echoed around you as you placed a hand on the wall to steady yourself.

"Ally?"

You opened your eyes - you hadn't realized that you had shut them - and spotted Junpei coming towards you with the other Toucanmon. Their figures were blurry; you were fading fast.

"Junpei…" It was like your mouth was filled with styrofoam. You pushed off from the wall, took one staggering step, and then the world went dark.

~Junpei POV~

As soon as I caught sight of Ally I was concerned. She was pale and it looked like she could barely stand.

She spotted me coming towards her and it looked like she was trying to say something, but as soon as she pushed away from the wall she started to tilt at an alarming angle. Luckily I was close enough to catch her before she fell and hurt herself. She stayed on her feet but it was really mostly my arm around her waist keeping her up.

"Hey, Ally? Ally!" I gave her a gentle shake, worried that I might hurt her. She felt so limp…

Her eyes fluttered and struggled to focus on me. "Junpei?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I'm here. I got you."

"That's good," she sighed. "I'm so tired."

"Not surprising. I can't believe you fixed that huge crater so fast."

"Me neither," she said with a tired smile.

"Oh, humans, humans!" The Toucanmons' shouts caught our attention as they crowded close around us. "You've saved us! How can we ever repay you?"

"You bird brain!" another scoffed. "Obviously the humans are exhausted! We should let them rest here!"

"And we should make them a big dinner as thanks too!"

My stomach rumbled at the mention of dinner but my first priority was Ally. It seemed like she was slipping out of touch with the events going on around her. More than anything she needed sleep.

"We can wait for dinner," I said. "My friend really needs to lie down."

"You got it!" one of the Toucanmon said. "Follow us!"

~Your POV~

The first thing you were aware of was the soft pillow under your head. At first you thought you were still dreaming - it wouldn't be the first time you had dreamed about being in an actual bed while on your adventure. And the feather-soft touch of the bedsheet overtop you didn't disabuse you of the idea. But the powerful smell of ocean brine was a new addition to your fantasy. Not unpleasant, it still drew you closer to wakefulness.

You took in a big lungful of the salty air and awareness rolled through you like a wave from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Only then did you open your eyes.

Up above you arched a roof that looked like it was made of thatched palm leaves. The walls were panels of pale wood and enormous windows were on either side of the bed. You sat up. Through the door you could see the beach and the waves lapping at it serenely.

Then with a burst of light all of your spirits appeared in the room.

"Dramon!" you cried.

"Ally!" she replied happily. "I'm so glad to see you awake."

"You had us worried, sugah!"

"Sorry about that."

"It's okay, right."

"Beast Spirit take much energy. Me not surprised you pass out."

"How are you feeling now?" Zephyrmon asked.

"Better. Can we still make the train?"

"No, Trailmon left hours ago. We'll have to wait until morning."

"You shouldn't be in such a rush, girl."

"Stuff it, Mercurymon! You all were the ones rushing me!"

"That was before we saw how well you can handle Wyvernmon's powers," Dramon explained. "We still can't dawdle but rest is important."

You pouted. That stupid Hookmon and his stupid grudge. You had a world to save!

Then you thought of Junpei and looked around. "Hey, where's Junpei?"

As if in tune with your thoughts, that was the moment when Junpei returned. He stepped into the doorway, framed by the setting sun across the ocean, which ringed him with golden light.

You blinked, suddenly overcome with a strange feeling. Your skin tingled and butterflies started tap dancing up and down your esophagus.

"Junpei…"

"Hey, Ally!" He sounded every bit as happy as Dramon had. "How are you feeling?"

"I…" You caught yourself staring and gave your head a stern shake. "Yes. I, um, I feel better. Much better. Well, maybe not much better, but better. So now I need food, so which way to the cafeteria?"

You scooted to the edge of the bed and levered yourself up. Then you promptly fell over. "Wah!"

"Woah, Ally!" Junpei rushed over to you and picked you up off the wooden floorplanks. "Are you okay?!"

"I think so." You clung to him tightly, dismayed at how trembly your knees were. "I guess I'm still pretty weak, huh?"

"Don't worry, I've got you."

Looking up at Junpei's smiling face and feeling his arm around you, you started to get that butterfly sensation again. Your face grew hot and if your legs had been able to support you, you probably would've run off.

Then your stomach rumbled loudly.

Junpei laughed. "I bet that's why. Come on, I'll help you to the main building for dinner."

"Th-Thanks," you replied.


	51. Chapter 51: Intermission!

Chapter 51: Intermission!

~Izumi POV~

That dark dragon had expanded within the cavern - it was draining the power from our spirits! It hung over me like a guillotine, glowing red eyes staring out from pure dark evil. The oppressiveness kept me pinned, unable to run or to evolve.

Then with a guttural snarl it began to reach for me. Closer and closer came the claws and my terror grew. Just as they were about to close on me -

"No!" I shrieked and lashed out as hard as I could.

"Ow!" the dragon shouted in Kouji's voice. Then I awoke.

"And that's why I don't wake her up," I heard Takuya say. It had been Kouji, not Takuya, trying to shake me awake and he'd ended up with a red palmprint on the side of his face for his trouble.

"I'm so sorry, Kouji."

"It's okay."

"It's what you get for not listening to me."

"Shut up, Takuya," I barked.

As my senses cleared and I looked past the circle of my concerned friends, I suddenly recognized where we were. It was Seraphimon's castle! That realization was more than enough to wake me up completely.

"How did we get here?!" I asked bewildered. "We were nowhere near the Forest Kingdom!"

"That's why we brought you here." Ophanimon appeared from a doorway followed by Seraphimon, Cherubimon, and Taomon. "It seemed a safe distance away. Or as safe as possible when our enemy can move between dimensions."

"You saved us?"

"Yes, we were able to seize you before you were thrown too far from the world," Seraphimon said, indicating Taomon. "Unfortunately your friend Junpei went off on a tangent. We landed him back on the Digiworld but we aren't sure where."

"He'll be okay with Beetlemon to watch over him," Ophanimon said. "And after that outburst it's unlikely that our foe has the strength to pursue him."

"Exactly what was that thing?" Takuya asked. "It was like nothing I've ever seen before."

"It's nothing that anyone has seen before and lived to talk about," Cherubimon growled. "That monster comes from Outside. And it has only one purpose: destruction."

"Its counterpart is a creature also from Outside who showed up long ago and gave rise to the Digital World," Seraphimon explained. "The Legendary Warrior of Souls takes her forms from this ancient creator."

"Of course! The Dragon of Creation!" Bokomon cried.

"Exactly," Ophanimon said. "The Dragon of Creation left word with the very first Celestial Digimon that the Destruction Dragon would follow one day. Its purpose would be to undo everything she had made."

"Hey, do you think that has something to do with what's going on now?" Neemon asked.

"Yes! And so does this!" Loudly Bokomon snapped his waistband repeatedly while Neemon squealed.

"This shall be the greatest test that the Legendary Warriors have ever faced," Seraphimon said solemnly. "Even Lucemon, though he desired to remake the Digital World in his own image, never sought absolute destruction."

"Well yeah, then he would've been king of nothing," I added.

"You're getting close. Once the spirits are all gathered together, AncientDrakemon can be reborn to challenge the Destruction Dragon," Ophanimon explained encouragingly. "She is its equal and if anyone can banish it back to the Outside it's her."

"Once the Destruction Dragon is defeated the Digital World can be restored to perfection," Cherubimon said. "Here. This will help you towards that."

He held out one hand and hovering over his palm was Petaldramon's spirit. We were one more spirit closer!

"Thanks everyone!" Takuya shouted. "We'll save the world again! You can count on it!"


	52. Chapter 52:SaladShooterMon to the Rescue

Chapter 52: Salad-Shooter-Mon to the Rescue

~Junpei POV~

"Wait," Ally demanded. "Wait, wait, wait."

She stared me down, the most serious expression on her face. Only Kouji could make a face like that. I waited to hear the continuation of her thought.

"Are you serious?" Her look intensified as she spaced out each word. "Takuya found his Beast Spirit?"

Instantly I knew where she was going with this and I grinned. "Yeah."

"YES!" she cried and threw her arms up with joy. "There is a God!"

I burst out laughing - she was so silly! But I completely understood her reaction. "Yeah, Takuya is a lot easier to tolerate now. When we get back to the others you'll see."

"That's a huge relief! It'll be so much better being in the group without Takuya asking me every five seconds if I hear a spirit!"

"Especially since you already found Agunimon."

"And Zephyrmon too! I bet Izumi will be so happy for her Beast Spirit. Since she and Takky are so alike."

I knew for a fact that Izumi would be thrilled to have her Beast Spirit. But it wasn't just that thought that made me happy. Ally was finally acting like her old self again. I had started to worry about her back at the Toucanmon Resort - she'd gone so quiet after the battle with Cannondramon. I was starting to think that she'd been hurt or something when she fainted. But she seemed to recover as we rode on Angler across the ocean. Now she was almost back to normal, aside from a couple of occasions when I caught her staring at me with a weird expression on her face.

As the thought came to me, I started to glance over at her to see if she was staring again. Then without warning I was thrown clear across the train car. Angler's brakes shrieked against the metal rails and the whole car was rattling as if it would come apart. Finally we came to a shuddering stop and all I heard was the hiss of steam being released.

As I picked myself up off the floor I looked for Ally. She'd also been tossed around and would up half draped over an entirely different seat, obviously stunned.

"We should find new transportation," I heard her mumble. "My skull can't take any more of these stops."

"Seriously," I agreed. "What the heck, Angler?!"

"That's what the heck!" he squealed and I felt his wheels slipping as he tried to back up.

From outside the train car I heard a hideous noise and a roar as the ground quaked sickeningly. Instantly I recognized what the noise had been - another warped Digimon had appeared.

"Ach! It's a Blossomon!" Angler cried. Shadowy tentacles shot past the windows and wrapped around the car. They began to constrict; I heard the metal groaning and cracks zigzagged across the window glass.

"Ally!" I said urgently and pulled my D-Tector from my pocket.

"I've got your back," she replied. Her D-Tector was already in her hand.

~Your POV~

You and Junpei rushed out the door of the train car seconds before the tentacles crisscrossed over it, locking it shut. As they tightened, you got a better look at them and realized that they weren't tentacles, they were vines. Their source was an enormous plant Digimon that looked like a sunflower surrounded by thorny branches.

With a roar it lifted up the train cars and poor Angler and slammed them back down. The immense impact sent dirt and dust flying in all directions, but you heard clearly the sound you'd come to dread: the high-pitched nails-on-a-chalkboard screech of damaged fractal code. One of the Destruction Dragon's puppets!

Which meant you were up to bat. "EXECUTE: SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Dramon!"

And clearly Junpei wasn't going to be left behind. "EXECUTE: SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Beetlemon!"

"You heard that, right?" you asked. "That thing has been warped."

"You don't have to tell me twice," he replied. "I'll blast the vines while you do your data flame thing!"

"Let's rumble!"

The two of you leapt into the air, you darting left as Beetlemon went right. Blossomon was enormous - the core sunflower-face part along was bigger than a Trailmon and with the vines included it could probably have filled a baseball stadium. You were fairly sure that you could dodge them and land a hit to the face, but getting out again would be the problem. So taking out the vines was step one.

" **Spirit Claw!** " You swooped down and with two swipes took out a chunk of wood and thorns.

" **Golden Thunder!** " Beetlemon's electricity-covered fist struck the ground and bolts of lightning moved outward in a semicircle, shredding the vines with sharp cracks.

You backed off a second. Was Blossomon weakening?

Apparently all it'd done was get the plant's attention. Blossomon raked its thorns across the ground and whipped them straight at you.

"Wah!" You dove sharply and the vines whistled past.

Beetlemon wasn't as lucky. Lacking your nimbleness, he was easily snared by the brambles. You heard him cry out as the thorns dug into the soft joints between his sturdy armor.

"Leave him alone!" you roared furiously. You aimed for the base of the vines that were holding him, determined to go full-on Cuisinart on this vegetable-mon!

But your rage had blinded you - Blossomon saw you coming and its vines converged on you from every direction. You struck away the first few but the sheer number overwhelmed you and they wrapped you up in a stranglehold. The thorns slid into your flesh and every move to free yourself was a new wave of agony.

"Time for a defense boost, girl!" Mercurymon's soul announced.

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Mercurydramon!"

Instantly the pain was gone, though you could still feel the sharp points scraping against your metal plating and the pressure of the trunks holding you in place. Not that they were going to stop you!

You ripped free one arm and swung your razor-sharp claws around to free your other arm as well. Now as you moved, you were the one doing damage to Blossomon. Your claws, wings, and shields sliced into and through the vines which oozed gross green slime all over your shiny form.

Blossomon snarled and sent more to restrain you but as you sliced through those as well it returned its attention to Beetlemon. He had been shocking the vines to free himself but as with you there were simply too many to get free from. Now even more piled on and his shocks began to weaken.

"I'm coming, Beetlemon!" you bellowed. Slowly you were coming out on top of the brambles, slicing and dicing your way through the tangle and making your way towards him.

Then things got worse. The vines holding Beetlemon began to whine in that particular ear-splitting note that signified warped data. Then they began to shimmer, and as you watched in horror that shimmer spread into Beetlemon!

"Augh!" he howled. "Ally, help!"

"Junpei!" A thousand thoughts ran through your head. Clearly you weren't strong enough in this form to take out Blossomon. But you couldn't evolve! Wyvernmon was simply too big - Junpei would get caught up in the destruction and might get hurt. And could any of the other beasts handle so many vines?! If only the rest of the group was here!

"Not that you need the group. Just their power, correct?"

A beast of a soul appeared before you. It was enormous, nearly as big as Wyvernmon, and it was like no creature you could imagine. It was made of green orbs all linked together and each was covered in bulbous eyeballs! Except the top orb - it was a mouth! A familiar mouth… And a familiar voice…

"Oh, God, no!" you blurted out.

"Well, well, what luck!" Mercurymon said from his customary vantage point in one of your shields. "It seems our ruckus has stirred up my Beast Spirit. Quickly girl, claim it and slide evolve. My beast will take care of this overgrown rose bush!"

"You'd better be right, Mercurymon. I don't know that we have many other options!"

You cut your way free and raced up into the air with the vines chasing after you. Rising to meet you was a glowing orb - the spirit! As it you met in midair, you brought out your D-Tector to absorb it. Then the vines caught up to you.

"SLIDE EVOLUTION! Wyvernmon! ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Hydramon!"

This evolution was like none other. Smaller than Wyvernmon you were still huge; your first impression was of seeing the world through many eyes - a slight turn and you figured out why. You had ten heads, each with a single enormous eye and huge toothy mouth! Each head was at the end of a long neck sprouting from the largest orb which was your body. You had just two legs and a stubby tail, but most worrisome you had no wings. And you had come into being high in the air!

And with that realization, you fell. Right onto Blossomon. It knocked you for a loop but Blossomon came off worse.

"Quick, girl! Get up and take that weed apart!" Mercurymon ordered. "My Beast Form can channel the powers of all ten elements so nothing can stand against us now."

"And with all these heads you can attack without hitting Beetlemon!" Dramon shouted encouragingly.

"Then let's get weed-whacking!" you replied. Like a nest of snakes, your ten heads stirred to life.

SNAP! SNAP! SNAP! With each snap of your beartrap jaws you severed meters of vines from the central flower, taking away Blossomon's advantage.

But it wasn't going to take the pruning lying down - with a shriek Blossomon tossed you aside and rose up in a fury. It ripped apart the ground and tried to cocoon you with its branches. Instinctively one of your heads broke free and pointed back down.

" **Corona Blaster!** " Bullets of flame rained down onto the vines holding your hostage. The inferno let more of your heads break free and they eagerly faced down Blossomon.

" **Field Destroyer!** " roared one and a massive bolt of thunder burst forth.

" **Wind of Pain!** " cried another and a tornado of blades sliced into the vegetation.

" **Schwarz Donner!** " howled another and living darkness crashed down and blew a chunk out of Blossomon's center.

Instantly all the vines collapsed limp and the whine of corrupt data vibrated in the still air. The warping was spreading across the land from the gouges Blossomon had ripped into the ground and it was starting to consume Blossomon too.

Easily you stepped free and one of your heads descended to the solid stable part of the ground. Your mouth opened and you gently unloaded Beetlemon - in the thick of the battle you'd snapped him up and kept him safe as your other heads did damage.

"Hang tight, Junpei. I'll fix up the land and then it'll be your turn."

"Just hurry up, okay?! It feels like my data is warping and it's not exactly pleasant, you know!"

"Hurry is my middle name! ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Wyvernmon!"

Your multitude of blades began to glow and hum with your power. Carefully you positioned yourself over the main piece of the damage and spread your glowing wings wide.

" **Spirit Blade!** "

Just like before, the ground and your opponent Digimon were cut to shreds and the data floated in a loose cloud. And with your fiery **Spirit Inferno** you gathered the data up and a stab of your dull horn you restored the land to perfection. One step closer to saving the world!

But of course you hadn't forgotten Junpei. He had de-evolved while you'd fixed the ground. You slid back to Dramon and floated down to him.

It was deja vu of the aftermath of your battle with LadyDevimon. You gently breathed your **Spirit Flame** onto his warped data and felt incredible relief as it healed.

It was a deep insecurity of yours that one day, when it really counted, your healing powers would fail you and one of your friends would pay the price. Surely that shadowy dragon monster would find some way to do permanent damage. And what would you do then?!

 **[A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all! Hope you enjoyed your present! Look forward to another year of exciting (mostly) chapters of Digimon Frontier! I know I am!]**


	53. Chapter 53: Codes Between Friends

Chapter 53: Codes Between Friends

~Junpei POV~

"Wow, Angler! You're pretty tough to have withstood that blow from Blossomon!" Ally called to the engine. In typical fashion she was leaning out the window of the train car so far that I expected her to be sucked out and vanish at any second. But I knew better than to bring it up - she wasn't the sort to listen to safety advice.

"I could not have done it without your help, Liebschon!" Angler replied with a cheerful whistle. "I was rattled right down to mein bolts but zhat wunderbar flame of yours fixed me right up again!"

"It's no problem! That's what I do!"

I just sat and watched her, leaning at the waist over the frame of the window, sun shining reflected in her hair as it was blown back by the fierce wind. That grin on her face, that devil-may-care grin… it was like a sun unto itself, shining light onto everything - and everyone - around her.

Suddenly Ally yelped and I saw her legs flailing as she started to overbalance. Luckily I got to her just in time to pull her back to safety.

"That was awesome!" she yelled.

I let out a sound that was half sigh and half laugh. "Ally, why do you act so crazy?" Then I hugged her close and rested my forehead against the top of her skull.

I felt her still but she didn't jab me or pull away. "Well, if I didn't act so crazy I wouldn't get nearly as much attention from you."

"Oh? Is that what you want?" Why was my heart beating so fast?

"Yeah, I like getting attention…" Then, almost too quiet to hear. "… Especially from you."

I could've swallowed my tongue from the shock.

Then suddenly Angler whistled and began to brake. "Woo woo! This stop: Code Village! Code Village!"

~Your POV~

The Trailmon's announcement broke the spell you were under. You suddenly became aware of Junpei's strong arms wrapped around you and the warm glow in your heart and soul.

You pulled away and at the same moment Junpei released you. You took a couple of steps but then found yourself at a loss of what to do next. As the train slowed you couldn't quite bring yourself to look back at Junpei - thanks to your mouth running off like a greyhound, the atmosphere had become even more awkward.

As you scrambled to figure out what to do or say, the Trailmon continued to slow. Then it came to a full stop and steam hissed out from under the frame. The doors popped open and all you could think was, 'Escape!'

"W-We should hop off here," you said unsteadily. "There could be a spirit nearby."

The only response you received was, "Right."

Still you couldn't bear to look back at Junpei as you got off. You were consumed with worry - how were you going to find the spirits if the two of you couldn't even look at each other? Worse yet… were you still friends?

"Ally?"

Your head snapped up; that wasn't Junpei's voice!

Kouichi! Without even realizing it you'd walked right up to Kouichi just outside the Trailmon station. He looked just as surprised as you felt - it was your first meeting all over again.

"Kouichi!" you cried and you ran to hug him.

"Ally! I'm so glad to see you! We were all worried!"

"Ally!"

"Ally-han!"

"Hey, Ally!"

"What, no 'hello Junpei'?" Junpei asked peevishly.

After another round of greetings for Junpei, your group gathered around under the shade of some nearby trees to catch up. It took quite some time; your story began all the way back when you'd been transported to the moon from the factory sewers. You told everyone about the dinosaurs, the temple of bones, and the legend of the Creator Dragon. Then you described coming back to the Digiworld's surface and your travels around as you found spirit after spirit. Junpei joined in with your story when you got to the part about the tropical island, not that there was much more to tell.

Then the others told their stories - mostly about searching for you. But the part of the story when they found Lobomon's spirit and the Destruction Dragon attacked was terrifying. It was similar to the attack on you in the factory sewers, but so much more intense. The Destruction Dragon had taken an actual physical form to hurt them.

"It sounds like the Destruction Dragon is getting stronger," you commented. "It was hardly more than formless energy when it attacked me."

"It definitely wasn't just energy when it got us," Izumi said. "And it got even stronger after it absorbed MarineDevimon."

"I wonder…" Kouichi trailed off but he'd gotten everyone's attention. "I wonder if the reason the Destruction Dragon is getting stronger is because we're gathering the spirits. Maybe that's what's giving it strength?"

"But we need to collect the spirits to save the world! How can that be?!" Tomoki asked bewildered.

"Maybe the spirits and the Destruction Dragon are linked," Kouji mused.

"Hey, yeah!" you jumped in to say. "The dinosaur Digimon told me about that! They said that the spirits are pieces of the Creation Dragon left after the Digital World was formed. And if the Creation Dragon and the Destruction Dragon are like two halves of the same whole, then strengthening one would strengthen the other, right?"

"Absolutely right," Dramon said as she appeared in a flash of light. "The two of them are connected by destiny. As one grows stronger the other will also grow stronger."

Suddenly the others all exclaimed in surprise. "Ally!" Izumi cried. "It's Dramon!"

"We can see her!" Takuya added excitedly.

"You can?!" You looked at Dramon and she looked back at you, obviously surprised. But nothing about her seemed different.

Another flash and Mercurymon appeared. "This is another effect of the gathering of the spirits around Dramon and Wyvernmon. We'll become more visible and more solid as you find the rest of the spirits."

"What happens when we find all the spirits?" you asked.

"We don't know." Now all of the other souls had appeared. "Last time we were all together we formed Susanoomon but with Dramon in the mix there's no telling what will happen."

"Hey, Ally. What are they saying?" Tomoki asked.

"Can't you hear them?" you queried.

"No," Izumi replied.

"We can tell they're saying something but there's no sound," Kouji added.

"Interesting," you said. "I guess they don't have the strength to make themselves heard yet."

"Because there's still a few more spirits to find," Takuya said. "Who's still missing?"

After a quick headcount your group discovered that all eleven Human spirits were present but there were still five Beast spirits left to find. They were Darkness, Ice, Light, Thunder, and Water. At the same time you all exchanged spirits - you gave Takuya and Izumi their Beast spirits and Takuya gave you the Wood Beast Spirit, Petaldramon. It was an interesting meeting - he sounded just like Arbormon but he looked like an enormous leaf-covered lizard.

"Hey, kid. You're the one who likes trees, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," you replied. "Nice to meet you."

Petaldramon bent down slightly and offered you a leafy paw. Aware that everyone was watching, you took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Okay, now that we're all sorted out, let's decide where we're going next!" Takuya announced and you sighed gustily.

"It's okay, Ally," Dramon said immediately.

"There aren't any spirits around," Agunimon added. "We need to travel to another continent to find the next one."

"Which continent?" you asked.

"What about the Dark Continent?" Neemon suggested.

"Idiot!" Bokomon barked and snapped his waistband. "Why would we want to go back there?"

"Well, I'm sure at least one spirit would be there!" Neemon squealed. "It's the perfect hiding place cuz it's so dark!"

"He's actually right," Loweemon spoke up. "One of the Beast spirits is there."

"What's the Dark Continent?" you asked. "Loweemon says that one of the beasts is there."

"The Dark Continent is a continent of pure darkness," Bokomon explained.

"Never woulda guessed that," you mumbled.

"Anyway, it's the land where Cherubimon's castle is located and it's a very mysterious place."

"Yeah, I remember last time we went there and all the strange stuff we saw," Tomoki said. "Remember the Pipismon?"

"Remember the glowing moss?" Izumi added.

"Remember all the spirits we found?" Takuya snapped. "Come on, let's go!"

"Good idea for once, pants-for-brains!" There was another loud snap as Neemon's pants rebounded.

"Well, there's a spirit there so we should definitely get going," you said. "How do we get there?"

"A Trailmon can carry us." Junpei's voice had gone emotionless again after the high of seeing the others. It was strange enough that you started to turn to look at him, but then you remembered the train. And you froze motionless.

~Izumi POV~

I tilted my head. Something strange had just happened.

There was some weird vibe going on between Ally and Junpei. He was watching her very closely and very intently, though only when he thought no one was looking at him. But Ally hadn't even looked at him once and she was as stiff as a board. What was going on?

Of course the delicate atmosphere was completely lost on Takuya. "Come on, let's go find some Trailmon to ask!"

Then to everyone's surprise, most especially Ally's, he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off. Luckily I'm not the jealous type.

We walked all over Code Village looking for Trailmon. And there were certainly a bunch of them - maybe with fewer stations across the Digiworld the Trailmon had to congregate in the ones left. And the ongoing destruction had another effect too - none of the Trailmon would agree to take us to the Dark Continent.

"I - I need to de-rust my wheels!"

"My caboose needs to be shined!"

"I-I'm late for a haircut!"

"Do I look crazy?! Why do you wanna go there?!"

"What is with these Trailmon?!" Takuya snarled after the tenth rejection. "All we need is a ride!"

"Chill out, Takuya," Kouji said. "If we need to we can walk there."

"Walk schmalk, we're in a hurry!"

"Oh!" Ally shouted. "Oh, oh!"

"What's wrong, Ally?" Tomoki asked.

"I just realized!" she cried, waving her arms excitedly. "I might be able to take us to the Dark Continent! How far is it?"

"Just a few hours if we're not walking, Ally-han," Bokomon explained.

"You have an idea," I guessed. "What is it?"

She grinned at me widely and it seemed like she had gone back to normal. "I found my Beast spirit on the red moon! And it's really big; I bet I could carry us there!"

"You found your Beast spirit, Ally?" Kouichi asked.

"Let's see it!" I yelled.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Takuya shouted.

"Okay!" She stepped back and pulled out here D-Tector. "BEAST SPIRIT EVOLUTION! WYVERNMON!"

Ally had turned into a giant dragon! She had two legs, two wings, a long neck, and an equally long tail. Most of her limbs were armored in gold with silver sharpened edges and what wasn't armored was sealed in dark green. Her eyes were intense and hawk-like and she had three horns, two facing backwards and one in the center of her forehead. And she was really huge - even as big as Sakkakumon had been, Wyvernmon dwarfed him.

"Woahhhh!" we all gasped.

"I know right?!" she replied and grinned, showing off sharp teeth. "So hop on and let's go!"

She bent her neck low so that her grayish hair was within reach and one by one we climbed aboard. Then she straightened up and spread her wings to rise up into the open air.

"And now we shall ride the wind on the wings of the dragon!" Bokomon announced, taking a rather silly imperious stance. "Let's go!"

Wyvernmon didn't move. "Umm… which way are we going?"

"Wha?" Then Bokomon smacked his forehead. "Oh, of course. It's that way!"

"Okay!" And with a flap Ally took off like an arrow.


	54. Chapter 54: Broken Nightlight Land

Chapter 54: Broken Nightlight Land

~Junpei POV~

Terrible screams. Such terrible screams. We were hunkered down in what seemed to be the ruins of an old temple. The screaming was our pursuer - a terrible beast bent on our obliteration. We couldn't fight, we could only hide.

Those evil red eyes and great black wings. That was all I kept seeing in my mind.

It was even worse knowing who was behind them.

~~ 12 HOURS EARLIER ~~

~Your POV~

You eyed the long strip of dark land and the dark sky above it. Running below you was a thin belt of land with a Trailmon track running down it. It led to a gate - you recognized the symbol for darkness that'd been etched into it.

"Land ho!" Neemon shouted.

You heard a snap and a squeal. "Bakamon!" Bokomon barked. "I'm the one on lookout!"

The two Digimon and all your friends were perched on the head of your Beast form, Wyvernmon. You were flying them, as steadily as possible, to the Dark Continent in search of the remaining beast spirits.

It was an urgent race. The strange monster called the Destruction Dragon was clearly growing stronger and stronger as you located the spirits and it was becoming a serious threat now. Only the fact that you all kept moving was keeping you out of harm's way.

"I'm glad we're almost there," you sighed. "Flying is great but this Beast Spirit is exhausting."

"Don't worry, Ally. You'll get used to it after a few more evolutions," Kouichi assured you.

"Maybe so, but first I need some rest." You could feel your wings beginning to tremble and the exhaustion was creeping into your brain. You'd be able to land in like ten minutes but it seemed an eternity away.

But with some encouragement you made it to the gate and landed, de-digivolving after the others disembarked. You were a little dizzy but the sensation wore off quickly.

"Beans! Now I'm hungry!" you groaned.

Immediately a chocolate bar was thrust under your nose and you seized it eagerly. "You're the best, Junpei!"

Takuya led you all through the gate and into the dark forest beyond. As you munched your chocolate you looked all around, fascinated by this new land. The sky was dark, the soil was dark, even the tops of the trees where the sun should shine were dark. The trees looked strange too - were they tropical or deciduous? Whichever they were, something like Spanish moss was dangling from the branches, waving back and forth in the breeze.

"Do you think we should go to the Rose Morning Star?" Izumi asked.

Your attention refocused on the group when you heard the odd question. "What's a Rose Morning Star?"

"That's it up there," Kouichi said, pointing at the sky above the treetops in front of you.

Hovering in the overcast sky was a formation of rosy pink light interlinked to form a rose shape. It was very pretty and it glowed serenely, but it also made you feel nervous for some reason.

"Why are we going there?"

Everyone began to tell the story of their last adventure and their trip to the Rose Morning Star. With Seraphimon gone and Cherubimon consumed by evil, their only hope was to free Ophanimon from her imprisonment. They arrived at the Dark Continent and found their steps dogged by the evil Legendary Warriors, including Kouichi as Duskmon. But at last, with the other warriors defeated and Kouichi freed from Cherubimon's control, they arrived at the castle beneath the Rose Morning Star for the final battle against Cherubimon.

"Naturally we won," Takuya said proudly.

"Well, duh," you replied.

"It was difficult," Izumi added. "We only won after Ophanimon sacrificed herself to let Takuya and Kouji evolve to new forms."

You mused on that a bit. Ophanimon definitely seemed the type to sacrifice herself to help the forces of good prevail. And any idiot could sense the great power that all three Celestial Digimon possessed, so her great energy could easily unlock a new evolution. You wondered what those evolutions would've been like. None of the others could describe what they'd been like except to say that they were big and powerful. And there was one other question nagging at you.

"How can it be a star when it's cloudy?"

No one could answer that question.

Then you heard a low rumble from somewhere in the distance to the south. The rumble was accompanied by a flash, which drew your attention quickly.

A huge cloud towered over the land, roiling with furious energy. It was from here that the thunder was originating and lightning was energetically arcing over and through the storm. It didn't seem to be moving anywhere - as you stood and watched, it remained stationary except for a lethargic rotation of the clouds.

"Wow, look at that!" The admiration was clear in your voice; you adored thunderstorms, their power and size most especially. The only thing you didn't like much about them was how quickly they passed. You would've preferred that they lasted hours.

As if in response to your words, a huge bolt of lightning cut a jagged path down from the clouds and struck the forest below - shortly after, the boom of the thunder and the crack of the downed tree washed over you.

"Awesome!"

"You like thunderstorms, Ally-han?"

"Yeah, I love 'em. They're so powerful and cool!"

"That's funny," Izumi chuckled.

"Why?"

Kouichi chuckled too. "Because Junpei doesn't like thunderstorms at all."

You gasped and gaped at Junpei. "You don't?! Why not?!"

He fidgeted uncomfortably. "They're just scary, okay?"

"But you have the thunder spirits!"

"It's different when I'm a Digimon!"

You smacked your forehead. "My mind is boggled!"

There was another roll of thunder and beneath it you could hear a voice. It wasn't speaking intelligibly, just crying out with rage or excitement. With that strange ability of yours, you could tell that the voice was coming from the center of the storm deep in the forest.

The whole group noticed as you took an alert stance. They seemed torn between anticipation and worry, if their expressions were any indication.

"Is it a spirit, Ally?" Tomoki asked.

"Or is it the Destruction Dragon?" Kouji queried urgently. A little tremble went through the group at his words.

"I think it's a spirit," you said slowly. "It feels strong but not… warped, y'know?"

Everyone agreed with you. "We should go find it. It's probably going to be MetalKabuterimon," Takuya said.

Junpei perked up at that. "You think it's him?"

"Well, I'm not positive," you warned. "It's just shouting, not talking. But the thunderstorm is a good sign."

"Then why are we just standing around talking?!" Bokomon urged. "Let's get going!"

' _Great, a new pushy one,_ ' you thought, but you were also eager to meet the new spirit.

It was a short walk, though the strength of the wind was actually slowing your progress. The trees were being whipped to and fro and a constant stream of dust and dirt was bombarding you all - now Takuya's goggles made sense.

"I wish Zephyrmon could make this wind stop!" you shouted to Izumi over the gale's howl.

Suddenly the wind stopped - well, not really stopped because it was still blowing the trees about, but the air around your group had grown still. You saw that Zephyrmon's soul had appeared at the heart of your assembly. She was staring at you calmly.

"All you had to do was ask," she told you and her tone sounded amused.

"Molto bene!" Izumi cheered.

"Yeah, this is much better," Takuya said. He pushed his goggles up onto his forehead. "Do you think we can get some light too?"

Shiin! No sooner did he suggest it than Lobomon appeared, casting an aura of light across the path.

"It's convenient having all these spirits with us," Kouichi observed, "now that Wyvernmon's power can let them manifest."

"Yeah," you agreed. "I bet this'll help us travel and find the last spirits much easier."

At last you arrived in the very center of the storm; you could tell because the clouds above you were spiraling tightly counterclockwise. The trees around the clearing bore scars from the storm, burns and broken branches. The ones that were undamaged were still being tormented by the violent winds - they would sway away from the storm's heart before swinging towards it as the winds shifted.

In the center of the tiny clearing made by the storm was a hovering spirit. It had treads and a cannon like a tank and electricity was leaping across its surface. It was blue and yellow and bore a striking resemblance to Beetlemon's spirit.

"MetalKabuterimon!" Junpei cried happily.

Flash - BOOM! Lightning flared overhead and a crash of thunder rattled your very bones. Simultaneously the spirit's soul appeared. It was a huge Digimon: its lower half was a tank with treads instead of legs, and its upper body was thickly armored with gun-like arms and a cannon on its head. Those green eyes stared directly at you.

"Hey," he said in greeting.

"Hi," you replied.

His head tilted slightly to one side. "Y'know, you're pretty cute for a human."

You flushed and spluttered. "That's the weirdest thing a spirit has ever said!"

He shrugged. "It's not so weird. I'm linked to Junpei so I respond to things the same way he does."

All you could do was shake your head. No way would Junpei ever call you cute. Or at least he hadn't before…

Then you felt a touch on your arm and you jumped a mile. "Wah!"

"Woah!" Junpei lifted his hands in a gesture of peace. "Easy Ally. What did MetalKabuterimon say to set you off?"

"N-Nothing," you replied. "Just grab him and let's go. There's still four more beasts to find before we can save the world."

He gave you an odd look but didn't press the issue further.

But no sooner had the Beast of Thunder vanished into Junpei's D-Tector than an earthquake struck! A great roaring burst out from the ground and everything began to shake. It felt like you were on a tiny boat with enormous waves rolling past beneath you rather than being in the middle of a forest comfortably centered on solid ground. You couldn't even gather your wits enough to call to Grumblemon or Gigasmon to ask what was happening.

The source quickly became apparent. Like some weird volcano, a wicked looking monster made of bones ripped the ground apart and stood menacingly over you all. It was shaped somewhat like a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton but with substantial differences: the Digimon had long arms with nasty claws and from its back arched bony spines. It also had a horn on its head, similar to Wyvernmon's but longer and made of bone. Wrapped in its ribcage was a large red heart and its eyes glowed with crimson hatred.

Rattled from the earthquake, you vaguely wondered why a skeleton would need a heart. But then Bokomon's cry of alarm brought you back to the reality of the danger.

"What the heck is that?!" Junpei yelped.

You scrambled to your feet as everyone gathered together instinctively. Any Digimon that big with such a violent aura could only mean trouble.

"Ohhh, this is the worst!" Bokomon moaned.

' _Sometimes it really sucks to be right all the time,_ ' you thought.

Bokomon continued to lecture, confirming your pessimistic thoughts. "That is SkullGreymon, one of the most dangerous Digimon in the entire Digital World! His only thought is destruction!"

A vicious snarl left SkullGreymon's jaws: odd considering that he had no throat. His arms, which had been about waist high, lifted until they were raised over his head threateningly.

"This has to be the work of the Destruction Dragon," Kouji growled.

Kouichi agreed with his twin. "It's much too convenient that we would be attacked right after finding a spirit."

You felt a stab of guilt. It was because of you that everyone kept landing in danger.

Then without warning SkullGreymon charged. But everyone was already prepared to confront him. There was a flurry of voices and bursts of light and data as Bokomon ran for cover dragging Neemon by his pants.

"BurningGreymon!"

"Zephyrmon!"

"MetalKabuterimon!"

"Kumamon!"

"Lobomon!"

"Löweemon!"

"Dramon!"

You, Zephyrmon, and BurningGreymon took to the air as the others spread out below you to surround SkullGreymon. He had paused his attack, as if letting you all evolve, and was now looking around to weigh his options.

"Let's get 'im, guys!" MetalKabuterimon shouted and that attracted SkullGreymon's attention once more.

The skeleton Digimon brought down a fist, the swing nearly catching Zephyrmon off-guard. But the real target was MetalKabuterimon - the fist struck him from above, driving his treads halfway into the torn ground.

"Augh!" he grunted.

"Junpei!" you cried.

"Don't pull any punches on this one, guys!" BurningGreymon ordered. "It's gonna take everything we got!"

"Right!" everyone replied.

" **Wind of Pain!** " Zephyrmon's razor wind swirled about SkullGreymon's head but there was no reaction from him.

Instead he turned his attention to the other warriors on the ground. Lobomon and Löweemon had taken up positions next to each other and had drawn their sword and lance. They must've looked like a threat together; SkullGreymon's free hand whistled down towards them, palm open to squash them flat.

"No you don't! **Corona Blaster!** "

The fiery bullets distracted the aggressive zombie enough so that his blow missed the brothers. But it was close: they still needed to use their weapons to deflect his claws.

By now Kumamon had slipped in close enough to use his specialty. His **Frozen Wind** coated SkullGreymon's legs and froze his feet to the ground with solid glacier-like masses of ice. It seemed the skeleton hadn't noticed the cold. In fact, until he went to take a step to pursue BurningGreymon he didn't try to move at all. The realization that he was stuck threw him for a moment. He brought both hands down on the ice to try to shatter it. Of course, by doing that he released MetalKabuterimon's cannon.

"Bad move, buddy!" He bent over and took aim. " **Field Destroyer!** "

The blast hit SkullGreymon in the chest just above his heart and he screeched with pain and fury. His arms flew up and it looked like whatever tiny brains he had had short circuited. Just the opening you needed.

You swooped down like a hawk to finish it. " **Spirit Flame!** "

In hindsight you realized that even while attacking the others SkullGreymon's eyes had always been on you. But at the time you'd been more concerned with your friends' safety and with the worry that SkullGreymon might be a warped Digimon. It hadn't occurred to you that he might've been completely aware of every move you made.

Suddenly SkullGreymon returned to his senses and leaned forward, taking direct aim at you. " **Dark Shot!** "

You could see now that he had a shark missile on his back and it launched at you with a trail of smoke following behind. You had no time to dodge.

The missile exploded directly in front of you with the force of a nuclear bomb. Everything went white and the sound was so loud that you simply couldn't process it. Your world became nothing but pain.


	55. Chapter 55: The Dawn of Destruction

Chapter 55: The Dawn of Destruction

When you came back to your senses you were lying in the middle of the forest. You'd fallen through the trees, knocking them aside in a shower of splintered wood and leaves. Everything hurt and you could see a band of fractal code spinning around your midsection.

"That was a rough one," you mumbled. You managed to get to your feet, though the code was still spinning around you. "Time for the big guns!"

When the spinning fractal code vanished at last, you summoned your depleted energy. "SLIDE EVOLUTION - Wyvernmon!"

You spread your long bladed wings and roared up at the clouded sky. In response, another shark missile came flying up at you. But you were prepared to counter.

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Archaeoptermon!"

You poured on the speed, dodging the missile and escaping the blast vicinity before it detonated. Then you attacked the towering beast. " **Jurassic Talon!** "

Your armored claws glowed brightly and you slashed at SkullGreymon's bare skull. But he didn't recoil from the strike. Instead his arms lifted and he reached out to grab you.

"Woah!" You flapped out of the way, losing a few feathers in the process, and tried again. " **Ancient Hurricane!** "

SkullGreymon lunged for you, ignoring the spiraling winds, and struck you with his fist before you could react. You slammed to the ground and lay there stunned.

" **Wind of Pain!** " Another cyclone of wind cut between you and SkullGreymon to protect you.

" **Flame Storm!** " There was an eruption of flames and they joined with the winds to form a tornado of infernal fire.

"All right," you said. "Let's try some fire power! ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Fissionmon!"

You were a new beast, shaped like a dinosaur and heavily armored. Your claws were long and thin and from your forehead to your middle back was a blazing mane of red and orange fire. Your long tail lashed expectantly.

Then SkullGreymon pounced through the wall of fire and you rushed to intercept him. You muscled him back into the flames - they didn't bother you at all - and struck him with your armored head to try to stun him.

In fury, SkullGreymon punched you again; however this form was tougher than Archaeoptermon and you withstood the blow. You felt your energy start to rise and waves of heat came off you.

"Here we go! **Chain Reaction Overload!** "

The energy inside you boiled over and there was an immense explosion to rival SkullGreymon's **Dark Shot**. He was thrown backwards as a fiery mushroom cloud rose into the air above you. The ground beneath you melted and compressed and the shockwave knocked down trees in all directions which then erupted in flames.

"Watch it, Ally!" BurningGreymon scolded as he swooped down close to you. "You almost hit the rest of us with that!"

"Sorry," you rumbled.

" **Double Dark Shot!** "

Two shark missiles came flying at you now and you were too big to dodge. You raised your arms and braced yourself for the impact.

The double impact was even more painful than the first. Everything went white and you lost track of the world for some time. At last you came to again, forcing your eyes open. You were coated in dirt and dust and you had reverted back to your human form.

"Oh, God." You began to stir and were relieved to find that you hadn't suffered any permanent damage. "That was awful."

"I'm sorry. I'm very sorry."

You wiped the grit from your eyes and sat up. Floating before you was a soul - a very familiar one. Memories from a thousand years ago came rushing back. "Agumon!"

The waist-high orange lizard gazed at you sadly. "Human, you must stop me. I'm possessed, I can't stop my attacks."

"You're SkullGreymon?" you asked. "Wait, possessed? Like by a demon?"

He shook his head. "By a Beast Spirit. I must've gone too close…"

"A Beast Spirit!"

"It attached to me and took control of my body. Until I'm defeated I will be under its curse. Please, you must defeat me."

"Which spirit is it?!" you asked excitedly. If you knew which element was controlling him you could pick its opposite to gain an advantage.

Suddenly Agumon's soul doubled over and cried out in pain. Then it vanished and you were left alone in the dark woods.

But only for a moment; with a crash and a mechanical rumble MetalKabuterimon rolled up to you and skidded to a halt. "Ally! Are you okay?!"

"Junpei!" You craned your neck back to look up at him. "I've been better."

He leaned over to get a closer look at you. "At least you're not hurt. SkullGreymon nailed you pretty hard."

"I'll say." You rubbed your forehead to try to ease the pounding in your head. "But his soul appeared to me and explained what's going on. He's possessed by one of the beasts."

"He is?! Which one?"

"He didn't say. The soul vanished before he could say." You shook your head, trying to clear away the cobwebs and pain. "I've gotta evolve again. I've gotta keep trying!"

You called up your flagging energy once again: the effort nearly made you go crosseyed. But you just gritted your teeth and began to evolve.

"SPIRIT-"

"Hey, wait a second!" MetalKabuterimon interrupted. "You can barely stand, how do you expect to beat that thing?!"

"But I've got to try! It's up to me to gather the spirits so we can save the world! I'm the only one who can do it!"

"Don't be ridiculous! One person can't save the whole world! We all have to work together to do it."

"But what if you guys get hurt?"

"And what if you get hurt? How do you think we'll feel?"

You gaped for a bit and then hung your head. You'd been so consumed with the urgency to get the rest of the spirits you hadn't thought at all about your friends. It was true, if you got hurt they would all blame themselves. And then who would locate the spirits for them?

"There you are Ally!" Zephyrmon swooped down with BurningGreymon right behind her. "You took a bad hit. Are you okay?"

"I've been better." From out of the forest came Kumamon, Lobomon, and Löweemon. "SkullGreymon is Agumon possessed by a beast spirit. We need to defeat him."

"Which spirit?" Lobomon asked.

"He didn't say."

"Ally thought she could take him alone," MetalKabuterimon informed the others.

"No, Ally. It'll take all of us together," Löweemon said.

"He's right," BurningGreymon said. "All of us need to combine our strength in order to win."

With a flash of light the souls appeared around you. They all offered encouragement and reinforced what all your friends were saying. You looked into all their eyes and realized that it wasn't just six friends who were worried for you - it was twenty-two of them.

"Okay," you said humbly. "I got it. Let's all work together."

"We can do it together," Kumamon said.

"Then let's go! BEAST SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Wyvernmon! ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Titanmon!"

~Junpei POV~

Ally had shifted to some new beast form - for a moment I tried to guess which element. Not wind, not fire…

Then electricity crackled over her armor and my heart raced. She'd taken my thunder form!

She was huge, twice my size, and covered with the same bluish armor as me. Her treads were just like mine but the rest of her was very different. Most of her chest was a turbine engine and a cannon barrel extended from her back up over her head. Her arms were thick and heavy and so were her claws. Her head was thick and heavy too, very much like Beetledramon.

She growled fiercely. "Let's go MetalKabuterimon! We'll give him a shock he won't ever forget!"

"Lead on Titanmon!" I agreed.

"Save some for us!" BurningGreymon added.

SkullGreymon stumbled through the trees heading directly for us, reaching out his claws to grab Titanmon. She held her ground though and just began to spark and glow. " **God's Hammer!** "

For a few of SkullGreymon's steps nothing happened - then he seemed to cross some sort of barrier and there was a bolt of electricity from both of Titanmon's hands. The skeleton Digimon fell back and the others leaped forward to attack.

" **Wind of Pain!** "

" **Flame Storm!** "

A firestorm descended on SkullGreymon, pinning him in place. Then Lobomon and Löweemon charged in.

" **Licht Kougel!** "

" **Endlich Meteor!** "

Their attacks combined and struck like a bolt from the heavens. Kumamon also joined the fray but I was preoccupied with Ally as she leaned down towards me.

"Let's get into position," she said in a low voice. "As soon as the others are clear we'll hit him with our strongest attacks. That's sure to get him!"

"Right!" I replied. "I'll take the right, you take the left."

She nodded and I noticed the turbine that composed her torso beginning to rotate. It was slow now but I could tell it was picking up speed.

We raced into position and waited. The others kept attacking to keep SkullGreymon pinned down. I spared a glance at Titanmon and saw her turbine spinning extremely fast. Static electricity was discharging from the moving parts and she had her cannon aimed directly at SkullGreymon. I also aimed my cannon at him and just waited.

Then it happened; SkullGreymon lashed out and threw all of the others away. Then he stood up and began to look around. And in the process of standing, he came squarely into my sights.

" **Field Destroyer!** "

" **Olympus Cannon!** "

Twin bolts of thunder struck SkullGreymon in the chest and a column of lightning roared up into the sky. He howled with agony and then finally his fractal code appeared.

But before any of us could move to scan it, the fractal code formed a rotating ball and shot up into the air. It swooped in midair and shot directly at Titanmon, slamming into her with a loud crash.

Instantly I knew something was horribly wrong. Ally screamed and I heard the familiar shriek of warped data. Eerie, blazing fractal code surrounded her.

"No!" I shouted.

"ELEMENTAL SHIFT! SkullWyvernmon!"

It was an abomination.

Wyvernmon's armor had rusted and split apart, revealing bone and tattered flesh beneath. The wings were bone with scraps of leather stretched between them; as they fluttered they sent gusts of foul air across us. At the end of her neck, past the cracked and missing armor plates, was the vicious head. Half of the helmet had come away and her horn was broken - deep in the eye socket of the skull side glared a single red light. It was a bolt of terror directly to the heart.

"Oh my God," Zephyrmon gasped.

"What happened?" Kumamon whimpered. "Wyvernmon?"

"Don't get too close!" Lobomon warned. "She's been possessed by the spirit!"

A horrible noise came from SkullWyvernmon's gaping jaws and she began to stir. But her one red eye never wavered from us. From between her armored plates seeped darkness. And then came the laughter.

The darkness coalesced above her to form a terrifyingly familiar shape: the Destruction Dragon! It stared down at us and I could feel its smug satisfaction. Its wings spread wide, even wider than SkullWyvernmon's.

"At last!" it crowed. "At last! I knew that if I pushed you pathetic humans hard enough you would lead the girl and her spirits right to me! Now that I have them under my possession to serve as an anchor, I shall tear down this world and return it to the void! Hahahahahaha!"


	56. Chapter 56: Destruction's Rampage

Chapter 56: Destruction's Rampage

You tried to focus. All around you was a miasma of smokey grayness; it even extended into your mind. Your thoughts were elusive like darting fish and they slipped between your fingers as you grasped for them.

What had happened? Where were you now? You thought maybe you'd been struck by lightning or something but the memory dissolved until it was no more than a memory of a memory.

It was timeless as you floated in that gray fog. The peace lulled you - the thoughts that had seemed so important didn't really matter here and now. You stopped fighting to keep hold of them and just drifted.

Without warning the grayness closed in on you and wrapped around your nose and mouth. Your peace shattered, you began to pull desperately at the eerie semisolid haze.

"Ally, wake up!"

You jerked into wakefulness hard enough to throw yourself out of your padded chair and onto the floor. Dazed, you sat up; it was then you discovered that the suffocating cloud in your dream had been a scarf all along. You unwound it from your face and took stock of the situation.

The top floor of the campus library was always hot and stuffy, but especially so when one has a scarf about one's head. In addition to being stuffy, it also carried the usual musty scent of public books left alone to ripen with age. These books sat upon steel racks that stretched from one end of the floor to the other. Nestled among the catacombs of literature were two tables that you and Junpei commandeered whenever you had projects to complete. It was one of these tables that now loomed over you, dull beneath the harsh fluorescent lighting. Your toppled seat and your bookbag were on the floor, along with a scattering of papers dislodged by your ungraceful awakening. It was all exactly the same as the day you'd taken that fateful call.

You were stunned. Weeks you had spent roaming the Digital World and finding spirits! But this all looked the same as the day you'd left.

You sprang up and sure enough your cocoa was still on the table. It was hot to the touch - what was going on?!

You looked around for Junpei but there was no one in sight. You were alone.

So who was it that had told you to wake up?

That question remained unanswered: just then Junpei came striding from the far side of the floor (where the bathrooms were located).

"Hey Sleeping Beauty!" he said cheekily. "Glad to see you're finally awake. I thought I'd wind up carrying you out of here."

"Junpei!" Maybe he could explain what happened. "What's going on? How did we get back?"

His expression turned confused. "Back from what?"

"From the Digital World!"

"Digital what?"

"You know, with the Legendary Warriors, and the evil shadow dragon, and the souls!"

"Ally have you been hanging upside down over the edge of the table again?"

You searched his face for some sign of recognition - he had to be joking with you. But there was nothing. To be sure, you pulled your phone from your pocket and checked it for calls and messages. There was nothing.

Could it all have been just a dream?

~Junpei POV~

I remembered the sky of the Dark Continent being pitch black. But now seeing the Destruction Dragon against that sky, I could tell that nothing could possibly be blacker than its wings. SkullWyvernmon hovered beneath it - almost as if she were casting the shadow up into the sky. But tendrils extended down from the blackness and oozed from between SkullWyvernmon's rusted and broken armor plates. Somehow the Destruction Dragon seemed more substantial than the skeletal Digimon.

"Now," it hissed in a voice like death, "with the girl and her spirits in my thrall, I shall obliterate this world!"

"No way!" I shouted.

"Not while we're still here!" BurningGreymon challenged.

"Let's go guys!" Zephyrmon announced.

She and BurningGreymon took to the air to confront SkullWyvernmon, or maybe even the overhanging gloom. I for one wanted to try to sever those links between the Destruction Dragon and SkullWyvernmon. Maybe then it would disappear and Wyvernmon would go back to normal.

" **Ultimate Thunder!** " My spinning ball of electricity flew and struck SkullWyvernmon directly in the mess of broken armor and exposed ribs which composed her chest. The threads of darkness looked so weak I thought for sure they'd break. But the smoke cleared and there was no change.

" **Flame Storm!** " The wave of fire enveloped SkullWyvernmon. It was so intense that I was nearly burned by the heat even at the distance I was standing. That fire was liable to cremate the huge dragon.

But the flames died away and SkullWyvernmon still hung there in the air, unmoving. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw Zephyrmon shoot up into the air above BurningGreymon.

" **Wind of Pain!** " she cried. But instead of trying to hit SkullWyvernmon, the attack arced up towards the Destruction Dragon. It struck - and passed right through it.

"Quite the effort. Now let me show you true power!"

A shudder ran through SkullWyvernmon and the glow in her one eye became stronger. She unfurled her bone wings, threw her head back, and let out a sound like I've never heard before. It was like a hawk's shriek, a whale's song, and a bloodcurdling scream.

It was all a distraction. Her tail lashed out like a bullwhip at her two airborne aggressors. It missed Zephyrmon by a hair, though the wake sent her tumbling, and slammed into BurningGreymon's gut with a crunch. He flew back like he'd been shot from a cannon.

SkullWyvernmon's tail retracted but I was more concerned about her head. She leaned forward, her eye fixed on mine, and her jaws rocketed straight towards me.

Luckily for my head, I had anticipated the strike and had backed up to avoid it. So, instead of me, her teeth hit the ground and punched a hole in it. I raised my arms to protect my face from the spray of dust and data.

Through the dust clouds I saw her eye reappear as her head withdrew. Instinct took over.

" **Ultimate Thunder!** "

The impact was deafening and smoke swirled through the air. And along with the choking haze came the screech of warped data, by now all too familiar. I quickly backed up more, staring at the hole that SkullWyvernmon had made. The edges were beginning to decay and dissolve.

"Oh no!" I gasped. Now she was even more of a stark threat. We had to stop her!

" **Snow Bomber!** "

" **Licht Kougel!** "

A stream of blizzard snow and a beam of light shot out of the forest and lanced the cloud obscuring SkullWyvernmon. I heard an impact as they struck home.

"Ah, the power!" I heard the Destruction Dragon howl from the sky.

"We've got you on the ropes now! **Endlich Meteor!** "

Löweemon's attack didn't have the same effect as the rest - the bolt of darkness was swallowed up and a low rumble echoed through the dark forest.

"Do not fool yourselves." Suddenly the obscuring smoke was blow away, revealing SkullWyvernmon unharmed and still tethered by darkness to the Destruction Dragon overhead. "You have yet to understand my true strength."

The strings of darkness pulled at SkullWyvernmon and she reared back with a cry of pain. I saw a flash and then a soul appeared wrapped in chains.

"Ally!" I cried. Her soul glowed softly with gentle light cruelly restricted by dark chains that bound her to SkullWyvernmon's exposed ribs. "Let her go!"

"Silence! You do not give the orders!"

"What did you do to her?!"

"She is now my shield and my sword! To defeat me, you must destroy her!"

A collective gasp rose from us. "No!"

"You must!" The red eyes in the shadow form glowed brighter and SkullWyvernmon's wings spread wider with an ominous whoosh. "You must destroy her before she destroys you!"

Suddenly the Destruction Dragon vanished and SkullWyvernmon let out another eerie roar. I caught a glimpse of black and violet flames leaking from the ragged gaps in her throat armor - that was the only warning we got.

A tornado of black fire erupted from her bone jaws and swept through the forest towards us.

~Your POV~

Riding the clanking, groaning elevator back down tot he lobby, you rubbed at your throat. Your esophagus and chest were on fire.

"Damn man, I've got killer heartburn!" you complained to Junpei.


	57. Chapter 57: Can't Think of a Title

Chapter 57: Can't Think of a Title

~Dark Continent, now~

~Kouichi POV~

"Kouji, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm all right." My twin looked a bit dazed but not badly injured. "How is everyone else?"

"We're all okay," Izumi replied a little unsteadily.

After SkullWyvernmon's devastating attack, our group had taken refuge in some old ruins overgrown with dark vines and venus flytrap heads. But even concealed by the thick stone block walls, I could still hear the vicious howls and the percussive sounds of exploding data. SkullWyvernmon was on a full-out rampage now with nothing holding her back.

Then I heard a thud that had nothing to do with SkullWyvernmon. Junpei had slammed a fist against one wall with obvious frustration.

"I can't believe this happened!" he growled. "We should've known that it was a trap when SkullGreymon attacked! We should've kept Ally away from him!"

"We couldn't have known, Junpei," Izumi replied sympathetically.

"I should've known!"

"That's enough of that!" Bokomon barked at him. We all stared at him in surprise. "Nothing will get accomplished by whining about what you should've done or should've known! So stop moping and start figuring out how to rescue Ally-han!"

I think everyone was stunned by his directness and there were a couple minutes of silence. Then I spoke up.

"You're right Bokomon. We can't change the past so we need to move forward." I looked purposely at Junpei. "We'll rescue her."

He nodded but the anguish was still clear on his face. I wasn't surprised to see it but I was surprised by the intensity. I knew they were best friends and I figured that they might even have stronger feelings for one another, but this was the first time it'd been so obvious. And I had to admit that I felt a bit jealous.

Suddenly a colossal explosion rocked us and dirt sifted through the cracks in the roof. Distantly I heard some blocks fall out of their places.

"Aah!" Neemon squealed. "That one was a lot closer!"

"We're all ears whenever you want to tell us what the plan is to stop Ally-han from bringing the world onto our heads!" Bokomon demanded.

"Are you kidding?" Kouji scoffed. "We barely managed to escape being roasted or digitized! How could we have come up with a plan in the last two minutes?"

"Don't worry, we'll rescue her with or without a plan!" Takuya announced encouragingly.

"Oh yeah? How?"

"Uhhhhh…"

There were more explosions and the sound of blocks falling was more frequent. "I think we might need to save ourselves first," Izumi stated with a worried look at the quaking ceiling.

"Yeah, great choice of hiding place, Takky," Junpei snapped. "It'll make a perfect tomb!"

"Hey, I didn't hear you suggesting anything better!"

"Guys, don't fight!"

"Both of you knock it off!"

Over the shouting I could now hear the shrill whine of corrupted data. "I think she knows we're here!" I warned the others urgently.

There was a bright flare of light along with my words and we all recoiled. I expected an attack.

"Of course she knows. The dead could hear that yelling."

The light was Taomon. The fox Digimon had materialized in the middle of our group and was casting off a faint glow. It illuminated the clouds of dust being kicked up by the tremors.

"What are you doing here?" Neemon asked.

Taomon ignored him. "Quickly, gather close. She's nearly here."

We all moved close to her - I wondered what her plan was. I watched as she held up a hand and a glowing sign appeared in the air. "Om."

With a low hum a bubble appeared around us all. The group gasped but Taomon remained perfectly still.

"Don't move," she ordered. "And don't make a sound. We won't have a second chance."

It was just in time. The sound as SkullWyvernmon ripped off the stone roof was indescribable. She pushed her head into the newly opened space with a shriek and I braced for an attack.

SkullWyvernmon froze and I held my breath. Her single glowing red eye roamed about the space, brushing past us several times. Then it landed on us directly and stayed fixed in place. I began to worry.

Then a quartet of Pipismon flew past above SkullWyvernmon's head and her reaction was electric. She roared and reared up, blasting black fire at the poor fluttering Digimon. If she'd seen us she'd quickly forgotten; she hooked a skeletal foot over the broken edge of the stone wall and pushed herself into the air to pursue her new prey. The sounds of flame and rage began to fade away.

The glowing sign above Taomon's paw disappeared and the barrier dissolved. "The Destruction Dragon has managed to physically manifest in this world. This is terrible."

"I should certainly say so!" Bokomon barked.

"What can we do?" Junpei asked.

There was a low rumble and suddenly Cherubimon appeared. "Taomon! What's happened?!"

"Lord Cherubimon, the worst has happened. The Destruction Dragon has appeared in our world."

"Impossible! How?!"

The demand had been aimed at us rather than Taomon, so Junpei, Takuya, and I explained about SkullGreymon's attack and how his data had latched onto Ally, turning her into a warped version of Wyvernmon. We also recited what the Destruction Dragon had said to us - I remembered the words most clearly.

"Argh!" Cherubimon bellowed. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted that girl!"

He placed a large hand over his grimacing face and I heard more grumbling from behind it. Then he grunted and uncovered his face again. "You children, come to my castle at the Rose Morning Star. You'll be safe there until we can devise a plan on how to deal with the Destruction Dragon."

~Your POV~

"Ally. Hey, Ally!"

With a jolt, you returned to awareness. It was almost like waking from a dream - except that you couldn't remember what you'd been dreaming about. The first thing you saw was your notebook in front of you. You were apparently in a class when you'd dozed off, but somehow your notebook was full of writing - and none of it looked familiar.

Feeling confused, you looked to the side and saw Junpei leaning down towards you with his hand on your shoulder. "Hey sleepyhead! C'mon, it's lunchtime!"

"Oh. Right," you replied and started gathering up your papers and books. You didn't actually feel hungry; mostly you felt apprehensive, as if you were waiting for something terrible to happen.

But what?

~Junpei POV~

We followed Cherubimon to his castle, which was unexpectedly close. Those of us who could evolve into flying Digimon did and we carried the ones who couldn't so as to keep up with Cherubimon's pace. But even as fast as we were going it wasn't fast enough for me. The whole way I worried about where Ally was and what she was doing.

The Rose Morning Star castle looked almost the same as last time. A huge black forest surrounded the floating palace, which was made up of a tower with glowing discs of rock suspended over a dish rimmed with spires. The atmosphere was completely different though - there wasn't the oppressive feeling of evil or the heaviness of densely concentrated data. That plus we weren't going to have to fight Cherubimon once we got inside.

The celestial beast Digimon led us to one of the middle levels of the castle. Remembering the ordeal we went through the last time entering at ground level, I sighed with relief.

We entered into a huge room glowing with golden light and ringed with columns. I had just taken in the sight when I heard Zephyrmon let out a happy cry. "Ophanimon! Seraphimon!"

"Hello Warriors!" Ophanimon called to us as we descended. "I'm so glad to see you safe!"

"We're glad to see you're safe too!"

We all landed and de-evolved to present ourselves before the three Celestial Digimon. Immediately I picked up their vibes - they were all extremely worried, as much as me probably.

"Children," Seraphimon began, "please tell us what's happened. Has the Destruction Dragon really come back?"

We recounted the story again for all three of the angels: SkullGreymon, Ally, and SkullWyvernmon's path of destruction. How the land was falling apart and being eaten away at the same time. And the hideous monster shadow that had followed and threatened us.

By the time we finished, the Celestials looked grim. "It's worse than we feared," Seraphimon declared.

Ophanimon bowed her head solemnly. "I never thought that the Destruction Dragon would have the strength to invade a Beast Spirit like this."

I couldn't stand all the circular talking! Ally was in danger! We shouldn't just be standing around reliving the past!

My anxiety boiled over. "I thought you said that the spirits would protect her! She wasn't protected at all!"

"Calm down, Junpei-han!" Bokomon shouted and grabbed onto my pant leg. "They could hardly know what the Destruction Dragon is capable of! All we have to go on are old legends and folk tales!"

"It really is a tragedy," Ophanimon lamented. "We know so little about the Destruction Dragon. And it's so difficult to tell truth from legend."

~Your POV~

With a dull thunk the library door opened and you slipped out into the wider world. The sun was bright and cast sharp-edged shadows through the bare branches of the overhanging trees. The air felt strange - it had a sharpness to it that was usually accompanied by cold, but it was warm. Pleasantly warm.

'This whole thing is weird,' you thought to yourself. You sat down on a bench out front to consider your concerns.

The weather had been warm, unseasonably warm. All the snow that'd fallen before was melting. In fact, it was nearly gone! And not just the warmth but the sun's intensity and the feeling of the air. None of it was normal, even though it wasn't that unpleasant.

Time seemed to have gone askew too. By your reckoning it should've been almost time for midterms, but the days weren't getting longer even though they were getting warmer.

And that was another thing: there weren't any tests. There were also no homework assignments and that project that you and Junpei had been working on had sort of faded away without ending. Classes passed in a blur and you couldn't remember seeing the sun set in days.

Most concerning of all, when you tried to remember a time before when you'd fallen asleep at the library you couldn't. It was like hitting a solid gray wall of nothingness.

"Hey, Ally!"

You snapped out of your thoughts when you heard your name shouted. Looking in that direction you saw Junpei coming towards you from the area of the administrative buildings. You returned his wave and stood to go meet him.

"Ally."

A new voice caught your attention, low and powerful; it was a voice that wouldn't be ignored or denied. And yet… it was familiar… A face appeared in your mind, a handsome boy about your age with short dark hair and dark eyes. He was smiling and your heart skipped a beat.

That wasn't who you saw when you turned towards the voice though. Instead you saw something that shattered your concept of reality.

The black granite statue of your school's lion mascot had come to life and stepped down off its pedestal. As you watched in amazement, its features blurred and reformed. It was still a lion but its mane had fanned out like a shield and it was covered in golden-edged black armor.

"Ally," it said again. "You must remember. Try harder to remember!"

"Remember what?" you asked.

"Hey Ally, what are you looking at?"

You instinctively looked over your shoulder when you heard Junpei's voice directly behind you. Then you looked back and discovered that the statue had returned to its original look and place.

"Holy fish!" you gasped. "Did you see that?!"

"See what?"


End file.
